UK buyers still don’t have access to ESP anti-skid tech on smaller vehicles, with only 13% of city cars and superminis sold with the technology in the first six months of 2008.
These two segments make up about 40% of new cars with 50,000 sold in the first half of last year.
“ESP is just as important for small cars as for larger vehicles,” said Werner Struth, president of the Bosch Chassis Systems Control division. “Buyers should therefore be sure to ask for the safety system as an optional feature if it is not already on board as standard equipment.”
Overall, the number of cars fitted with the technology rose above 50% for the first time, as it reached a new high of 56%, 8% higher than the same period in 2007.
Europe is lagging behind the UK in fitting ESP, with only 53% of new cars hitting the roads with the technology included.
The figures are likely to continue to rise, with new car testing body NCAP now only awarding five stars for safety to vehicles with ESP included as standard.