Queensland's peak motoring body is renewing its call for life-saving Electronic Stability Control (ESC) technology to be fitted to all new cars sold in Australia.

RACQ vehicle technologies executive manager Steve Spalding said ESC was included as standard on less than 50 percent of new cars sold in this country, despite data confirming its ability to reduce the risk of single vehicle crashes by up to 66 percent.

Speaking during a simulated ESC demonstration, Mr Spalding said the technology helped prevent crashes by stabilising vehicles when they began to skid.

"Passive safety features such as seat belts and airbags are well known and recognised by the general public but ESC is a relatively new active safety feature that helps motorists avoid accidents in the first place," Mr Spalding said.

"Special ESC sensors fitted to vehicles identify when a car deviates from the driver's steered direction and the driver loses control of the vehicle.

"As soon as impending instability, oversteering and understeering are registered, ESC 'takes over', selectively braking individual wheels and reducing engine torque to bring the vehicle back on course, helping to avoid a crash."

Mr Spalding said despite being heralded as the biggest breakthrough in vehicle safety since seatbelts, ESC was only fitted as standard to about half of all new vehicles sold in Australia.

"ESC is vital technology for reducing the rate of single vehicle crashes, which account for almost half of all driver fatalities on Queensland roads," Mr Spalding said.

"Consumers should be insisting that ESC is fitted to any new vehicle they purchase, particularly four-wheel drives where single vehicle crash risk is high and injuries are often severe.

"This is life-saving technology and the safety specifications set for vehicles today will affect crash risk and injury outcomes for the next 20 years because that is how long these vehicles are likely to remain on the road."

Hyundai has proved that providing ESP standard across its range has been a sales winner.

Total sales in June 2008 were 5447 vehicles, compared to Hyundai's previous best month of June 2005 with sales of 5221.

Figures for May and June show that the uptake of ESP almost doubled across Hyundai's model range, from 17 per cent for April to 31 per cent in the May/June period.

Within the private /business sectors the uptake was even more dramatic, increasing from 19 per cent for April to 35 per cent in the May/June period.

Within the private/business sector, customer choice for ESP on the Getz increased from 3 per cent for April YTD to 14 per cent in May/June, on Elantra from 15 per cent to 76 per cent and Tucson from 26 per cent to 58 per cent in the same period.

"Hyundai pioneered the introduction of an ESP Stability Control option within the light car market on the Getz back in February 2006 and our recent 'End of Financial Year' retail campaign reflects Hyundai's continuing commitment to make the technology available to all Australian consumers," said Hyundai sales boss Kevin McCann.

"Not only have we had the best month ever for HMCA, but there are now more Hyundai vehicles than ever before fitted with this crucial life saving equipment on the road."'

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