ChooseESC! ChooseESC! at the Vallelunga circuit, Italy

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ChooseESC! at the Vallelunga circuit, Italy

On 6 May 2008, the Italian ChooseESC! campaign was launched at the Vallelunga Circuit in Italy. On this occasion the results of a new on-line ESC survey created by l’Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI) was presented.

The poll concluded that Italian drivers are largely unaware of the existence of ESC and, moreover they do not choose it for their car. One out of three ignores its use; more than half are not interested in purchasing it; 34% thinks it consumes more fuel; 21% is not willing to pay extra to have it.

Further, Italian drivers ignore the use and the functioning of one of the most efficient electronic in-vehicle safety systems. 30% of them mistakes ESC with ABS (anti-lock braking system); 44% wrongly believes that ESC can be installed in used cars and 34% of drivers think that this system increases the fuel consumption. This misinformation leads 59% drivers not wanting to equip their next car with ESC.

The benefits of ESC is clear for Italy, if all cars were equipped with ESC then 5-600 lives could be saved each year on the Italian roads. The costs of financing the installation of ESC in the Italian fleet of new cars would be 489 million euros a year, but saving the society annually 1,35 billion euros.

From left to right: Mr Mazzone, ACI - Mr Rozera, Vallelunga, Mr Gelpi, ACI, Mr Alessi, FIA Foundation - Mr Bangsgaard, eSafetyAware

Mr. Enrico Gelpi, President of the ACI welcomed eSafetyAware Secretary General Mr Jacob Bangsgaard, who presented the ChooseESC! campaign depicting the benefits of ESC, and FIA Foundation President Rosario Alessi, who underlined the significance of safety on roads in Italy. Mr. Alessi underlined how safety can be improved by the help of systems like ESC. He stressed that the FIA Foundation has road safety support as a key priority and this was the reason for their strong support to the international ChooseESC campaign.

Mr. Bangsgaard stressed the importance of increased consumer awareness campaigning to assure that consumers choose a car with ESC next time they buy a new car. At the same time he warned that a part of the awareness obligation is to be found in the showroom. The car dealers need to make more effort in explaining the benefits of safety technologies like ESC as they have the last direct contact to the consumer before the purchase.

Mr. Gelpi said: "It is not acceptable that a technology born in Europe is more widespread elsewhere and almost unknown in our own country, where more than 10 car models do not have ESC available. It is necessary to compound the efforts to sensitize the whole “chain of mobility" (car manufacturers, dealers, and drivers) on the advantages given by these technologies, assuming a system of incentives allowing that in the shortest period of time the whole national fleet can be formed by ESC vehicles”. He further added: “Besides ecological incentives, also safety incentives are to be brought in: ESC Standard in all models, sensitise dealers, inform drivers”.

Italy is below the European average with only 41% of sold cars equipped with ESC compared to 99% in Denmark, 77% in Germany and 55% in Spain.

Another important obstacle is the price tag defined by the manufacturers. Prices vary among manufacturers between 200 EUR and 1000 EUR for a technology whitch is identical. Of the 10 most sold cars in Italy only 38% has ESC as standard. For 51% of the models it is offered as option with an average extra cost of 604 EUR.

Truck loosing control as ESC is turned off