Surprising Advice re Traction Control

adamc260

andy8442 wrote: »

It's quite simple really. ONLY switch it off when going up hill in snow/ice where you need to maintain momentum.The rest of the time LEAVE IT ON.

Simples.

My thoughts exactly!!

Weird_Nev

Kilty wrote: »

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Since when was TC/ESP "safety critical" ?

Are people without it falling off the road regularly?

My point was this:
If you have a car with Traction control fitted as standard, and it can be disabled with a button press as standard, then the insurers factor this in to their risk and insure you accordingly. They assume the risk that a drive MAY disable the traction control in inappropriate circumstances and perhaps crash where otherwise they may not have done.

If, however, you take a car which has full time Traction control, and YOU modify it in order to be able to disable that traction control, then they have not factored in that in their insurance unless you tell them about the modification (as you must do).

What does it say about you if you make such a modification?

And yes, traction control, if fitted, is safety critical. ABS, if fitted, is safety critical. Air bags, if fitted, are safety critical.
Cars don't fall off the road without these systems, but they fall off the road less regularly and cause less harm WITH them.

Kilty_2

I have no gripe with them - I'm saying they are not CRITICAL.

Brakes would be a critical safety feature.

EDIT - didn't notice there were a load more posts after 21Twinkle's last one - I agree that disabling it on cars that it can't be disabled on might have insurance implications, I just think that "safety critical" isn't an accurate description of a system that not all cars have, and can be turned off on the vast majority that do.

50Twuncle

Kilty wrote: »

I have no gripe with them - I'm saying they are not CRITICAL.

Brakes would be a critical safety feature.

Do you consider seat belts "critical" ?

Kilty_2

If in a vehicle manufactured after ~1970 where the law dictates they must be fitted and used....

(although even then, not sure I'd describe them as safety critical, implying that they play a major role in preventing accidents)

50Twuncle

Kilty wrote: »

If in a vehicle manufactured after ~1970 where the law dictates they must be fitted and used....

(although even then, not sure I'd describe them as safety critical, implying that they play a major role in preventing accidents)

Over 60,000 lives have been saved through the use of wearing seatbelts
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Nl1/Newsroom/DG_072333
Which may not be the same as "an accident" but ...

Kilty_2

And they are mandatory with good reason.

TC/ESP is not (yet) mandatory.

Premier_2

Kilty wrote: »

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Since when was TC/ESP "safety critical" ?

Are people without it falling off the road regularly?

Since 01 November 2011 ... for cars gaining type approval after that date

From 31 October 2014 for all new cars

thescouselander

Premier wrote: »

Since 01 November 2011 ... for cars gaining type approval after that date

From 31 October 2014 for all new cars

I would say TC/ESP is not safety critical since if it stops working you're not going to fly off the road - it is a fail safe system. As someone else has already said only things such as brakes or steering are safety critical as failure of these systems could directly lead to a crash.

On the other hand, for a crash to happen, failure of the TC/ESP would have to be accompanied by failure of 1 or more other systems (which could include the driver).