Do you need Evasive Steering Assist (ESA) for your teen driver?

Making the close call, not so close.

What happens when an inexperienced driver, lacking the experience of a seasoned driver, encounters an impediment they can’t avoid by braking alone? Will they act fast, check their mirrors, choose a route and steer around it, or will they freeze up and hit it? My experience with my firstborn is, unfortunately, freezing up and hitting it.

Jackson's accident
teen driver accident totaled vehicle

What if they were distracted by someone or something in the car (again speaking from firsthand teen dad experience here)? When caught off guard on the road, a teen driver’s reaction time and experience level is the only thing they can rely on. And let’s assume your teen will steer themselves away from danger, will they be able to maintain control of the vehicle in an emergency maneuver? If the driver either reacts too slowly or overreacts, an accident could be imminent.

Moms and Dads today we are talking about an Advanced Driver Assistance System called Evasive steering assist or ESA. This potentially lifesaving (and fender-bender avoidance) technology can help your teen quickly steer out of trouble and maintain control once they have avoided a collision. The system works by simultaneously interpreting data from the front-mounted camera and radar sensors, and then calculates a safe path, avoiding any obstacle, oversteering, or understeering. ESA enhances a driver’s reflexes by activating extra torque in the steering.  This is especially helpful when there is a stationary or slow-moving object or vehicle in the roadway. ESA can also turn the steering wheel for the driver if they fail to take corrective action in time.

What is evasive steering assist?

Working in cooperation with the forward-collision warning (FCW) and automatic emergency braking (AEB) features, ESA is triggered when the FCW foresees a frontal crash and the driver attempts some form of evasive maneuver, i.e., an aggressive wheel turn. Immediately, ESA helps achieve the maximum steering angle more rapidly than your young driver would be able to independently. ESA will also help them maintain control when they jerk the wheel suddenly to avoid a crash. This greatly reduces the odds of spinning out or flipping the vehicle.

Evasive steering Assist dashboard warning Image: Ford Motor Company

Once the road hazard is avoided, ESA assists the driver to return to the intended course. Note that the driver has ultimate control of the steering. In most ESA systems, the vehicle does not actively take over the steering at first. Usually, there is an audible and visual warning, then automatic braking, and finally if no corrective action is taken, in some systems (such as Ford’s and Kia’s systems) the vehicle will take control of the wheel and steer you out of a collision as a last resort. In systems where it does not fully steer for you, it assists you in avoiding a collision by providing additional steering support when needed. Drivers are easily able to override the ESA system.

There is also a feature that addresses the hazards of making a left turn. Intersection Assist, a variation on ESA, uses the onboard camera and radar sensor technology from Pre-Collision Assist, along with Automatic Emergency Braking, to detect oncoming traffic. This is activated when attempting to turn left. If Intersect Assist senses a potential collision with oncoming vehicles, it alerts the driver and applies the brakes.

Evasive Steering Assist (Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist) Image: Kia Motors

Several of the ESA technologies are functioning at both city and highway velocities.

To summarize, the key benefits of ESA include:

  • Enhanced avoidance of frontal collisions.
  • Assistance in returning to a safe path after swerving.
  • Preservation of vehicle stability and control during an evasive maneuver
  • Activates braking, reducing the severity of a crash

There are some cautions that parents and young drivers should be aware of:

  • The system is supplemental to support drivers but cannot be expected to anticipate and abate every traffic situation.
  • The young driver and parents should make themselves familiar with the ESA system and its limitations and safe operating parameters by reading the owner’s manual. ESA functions are not a substitute for a driver’s attention and awareness of the road and its conditions
  • The ESA system is an aid to the driver. They should understand that the vehicle operator is ultimately responsible for maintaining a safe speed to allow for safe stopping distances.
  • ESA can provide an extra layer of protection in emergency driving situations by addressing collisions from slow or stationary objects and in challenging driving maneuvers, such as left turns in heavy traffic.

Rookie Rides Rating

On our Rookie Rides Ratings scale we give this a four out of 5 for life-saving, because while it could potentially save a life by helping to prevent a collision, this is more of a fender bender saver because when it is needed it could prevent an accident. We give it a four out of five for peace of mind because it’s a nice-to-have technology, but not a lifesaving requirement

Rookie Rides Ratings:

Life-Saving 4/5

Fender bender saving 5/5

Peace of mind 4/5

Does your teen driver need evasive steering assist?

ESA can provide an extra layer of protection in emergency driving situations by addressing collisions from slow or stationary objects and in challenging driving maneuvers, such as left turns in heavy traffic. Evasive steering assist is a fairly new technology so there will not be that many used vehicles that have it. The earlier models did not have the ability to steer the vehicle for you which is the primary benefit of the feature. So for now, because it may be too limiting for your search, The answer is that it is really up to you if you value this feature enough to be willing to buy a much newer vehicle that has the system. Regardless of your decision, the Rookie Rides ‘Match Me’ feature will help you find it.

Safe and happy motoring.

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