Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

Electronic stability control is a background safety system that senses when the car is starting to skid — sliding wide in a corner or stepping out at the back — and steps in by braking individual wheels to bring it back into line.

It works faster and more precisely than a driver can, making tiny corrections many times a second. It is one of the most important safety advances in modern cars and is now standard on new vehicles, quietly preventing many loss-of-control accidents.

You should never feel it in normal driving; it only acts at the limit, in a sudden swerve, on a slippery surface, or if you carry too much speed into a bend. If it activates, the right response is to ease off and let it do its job.

For a renter there is nothing to switch on — it is always working. It is simply good to know it is there, providing an extra margin of safety on wet roads, loose surfaces, or an emergency manoeuvre in an unfamiliar car.