In which of these dangerous situations on the road does a car equipped with the so-called ESP, i.e. the electronic stability program perform well?
Show the correct answer
Correct answer
A. In the case of overcoming a sharp turn and difficulties in maintaining the desired trajectory.
Explanation
The question is about the ESP system, that is, electronic stability control. It works best when taking a sharp bend, when the driver has difficulty keeping the intended line - answer A. Sudden acceleration on a dirt road (B) is a job for traction control, and keeping a constant speed (C) - for cruise control.
ESP compares what the driver is doing with the steering wheel with how the car is actually turning - it measures the steering angle, the rotational speed of the wheels and the rotation of the body around its vertical axis. When in a bend the car starts to drift outwards (understeer) or the rear overtakes the front (oversteer), the system itself brakes a single wheel and, if necessary, reduces the engine torque to bring the car back onto the line the driver expects. This happens in a fraction of a second, faster than you could react. ESP does not change the laws of physics: if you enter a bend too fast, even ESP will not keep the car on the road. In a bend, look where you want to go, do not brake sharply and do not jerk the steering wheel - then the system has something to work with.