The ABC’s of ABS, EBD, ESP, ETC.

Shopping for a new car can be as fun and exhilarating as serial clicking “Add to cart” in an 8-8 sale on Lazada or Shopee. But buying a car is certainly a more important task which needs more detailed due diligence than ordering your next do-it-yourself “Scandi” furniture.  

Checking out 360-degree images of a new car, clicking on the options, and checking out the available colors can be one of the sweetest stressbusters you can do on your laptop—next to a Netflix binge. That is, until you reach that alphabet soup of initialisms usually found under “Safety Features.” 

Then you get bombarded by terms like “ESC,” “HDC,” and “RCTA”—leaving you scratching your head and wondering what they stand for, what they do, and if they’re worth the extra cost that could otherwise be spent on a nice, new watch. 

So what exactly do these bunch of letters mean? Here are 12 most frequent examples you’ll see in many of the newer and more upmarket cars.

1. ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)

You’re running along a corridor in your socks and, once you’ve gained momentum, you slide the rest of way until the far end. But suddenly your brother’s ill-tempered Rottweiler (or your grumpy mother-in-law, depending on your nightmare) walks onto your path. If you continue your slide, you’ll surely crash into them. You do what instinct tells you. You start pumping your feet up and down fast—almost like a tap dance—in an attempt to stop quickly. You miraculously avoid them by mere inches. You even manage to steer yourself to the side. That’s what ABS is designed to do. It pumps the brakes as much as 15 times per second while your foot is slammed on the pedal as hard as you can. ABS modulates braking pressure to keep the wheels from locking, crucially retaining steering control and shortening the braking distance on slippery roads, both of which are nearly impossible if your wheels are locked and the tires are skidding.       

2. EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution)

EBD works with ABS and functions by applying different braking forces to each wheel. When you brake, the weight of the car moves forward which means that the rear wheels become unloaded and more prone to locking than the fronts. It may also happen that you’re braking hard and the left wheels are on dry asphalt while the right tires are on a gravel shoulder—EBD will compensate for the difference in traction over the two surfaces and allow you to slam on the brakes without losing control.      

3. BA (Brake Assist)

You’re driving along a street then a dog suddenly runs onto your path. You slam on the brakes. But you’ve never experienced such a scenario or have never practiced panic-braking before. You’re just not braking hard enough. (Studies show that only ten percent of drivers really know how to properly slam on the brakes hard enough in an emergency situation.) 

Brake Assist to the rescue! Brake Assist uses ABS software and hardware and works by applying more braking force than the driver is capable of. Since modern cars have computer-linked gas and brake pedals, the system detects a sudden release of the accelerator and a sudden and harder-than-normal stomp on the brake pedal. Brake Assist will then apply stronger brake pressure if it calculates that the system can provide more braking power, further shortening the braking distance needed to better avoid a collision.    

4. ESP or ESC (Electronic Stability Program or Control)

ESP or ESC works when you’re negotiating a corner or curve at high speed. It will apply the brakes to individual wheels in different amounts to keep a car from oversteering (tail swings out) or understeering (the car plows straight forward even with the front wheels pointing in the desired direction). As long as the driver isn’t going insanely fast (i.e. 100 km/h into a 90-degree turn), the system will keep the car following the road. ESP/ESC is also called Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), or Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), depending on the car brand. In more sophisticated systems, ESP will also reduce engine power, which is useful when you’re driving an exceptionally powerful car like a Porsche or Ferrari. The most advanced systems on some all-wheel drive cars can even adjust the engine’s torque—and not just the braking pressure—on each of the four wheels. ESP is usually on by default, but may be manually turned off. 

5. ETC (Electronic Traction Control or just Traction Control)

While ABS, EBD, BA, and ESP all work on the brakes while the car is at speed and needs some slowing down, ETC works on the brakes when the car is trying to speed up or accelerate, usually from a standstill. ETC is particularly useful when the roads are wet or icy and the vehicle has lots of torque. This scenario will result in your wheels spinning but the car not moving forward. ETC will apply brakes on the drive wheels (and may also reduce engine power) to give the tires a better chance of getting traction from the road surface. Like ESP, ETC is usually on by default, but may be switched off.

6. HHC or HSA (Hill Hold Control or Hill Start Assist)

The wonders of a computerized braking system. HHC/HSA detects if a vehicle is on an incline and activates the brakes for a few seconds (or until your foot steps on the accelerator) when you take your foot off the brake to drive off. It keeps the car from rolling backwards, which happens when you’re driving a manual or even some automatics (especially those with double-clutch transmissions or DCTs).   

7. HDC (Hill Descent Control)

HDC applies the brakes automatically when you’re going down an incline. In SUVs and 4x4s, you can negotiate a steep muddy or rocky slope without your foot touching the gas or brake pedals. The vehicle will just crawl downward without any pedal input from the driver. You’ll hear a juddering sound as the system, which uses the same ABS actuators, pumps the brakes. It’s a surreal experience—but one that underscores how far automotive technology has gone in this age of artificial intelligence.    

8. RCTA (Rear Cross Traffic Alert)

Here’s one safety measure that doesn’t involve the brakes. Rear Cross Traffic Alert acts as an extra set of eyes to help you reverse onto a street or driveway from a perpendicular parking slot. Radar or ultrasonic sensors on either corner of the rear bumper monitor oncoming traffic and alerts you via warning light or audible signal (or as a visual alert for cars with reverse cameras and a dash monitor). 

9. BLIS (Blind Spot Monitoring System)

You’ll certainly have a more blissful drive with BLIS. Even the best-positioned sideview mirrors can still leave a small blind spot that can hide a motorcycle or small car. Sensors on the side and on the rear (usually the same sensors used by RCTA) monitor other vehicles alongside your car. BLIS is automatically activated when you flick the turn signal, although the smarter systems remain on and will alert you when you’re changing lanes or just drifting to the side and there’s a car or motorcycle beside you.  

10. LDW or LDA with LKA (Lane Departure Warning/Alert with Lane Keep Assist)

Related to BLIS, Lane Departure Warning monitors the painted stripes on the road and alerts you via warning lights and beeps if you’re drifting off to one side without turning on your signal lights, which happens when a driver is drowsy, distracted, or intoxicated. More sophisticated systems add Lane Keep Assist, which actually applies gentle resistance when you turn the wheel slightly without activating your turn signals. Some will even give a gentle tug to physically alert you that you’re drifting off your lane without signaling.    

11. ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control)

Adaptive Cruise Control allows you to set a desired speed on long drives with your foot off the gas pedal—all while the car maintains a set distance to the vehicle in front. ACC slows down your car when the vehicle ahead slows down, and accelerates when the car ahead accelerates.  

12. TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring System)

This needs little explaining. Sensors inside each wheel rim continuously measure the tire pressures and give a visual and/or auditory alert if one or more tires fall below preset levels. The better systems indicate the actual pressures in each tire in real time. 

There you have it—the alphabet soup of electronic driver aids of the 21^st century. We’re lucky that a lot of these are already available on many affordable models. Bear in mind, though, that none of these systems will ever make up for reckless or unsafe driving—or allow a car to defy the laws of physics. Still, for the vast majority of careful, law-abiding motorists, these electronic systems will go a long way in helping achieve an accident-free drive.