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New cars get safety feature that can help prevent fatalities (video)

Until the 2012 model year, not all vehicles have been equipped with the safety feature known as electronic stability control. Does your car have it? Here's how to find out.

CNET News staff

A certain safety feature in cars could cut the number of fatalities in single-vehicle accidents by almost half and by 20 percent in multi-car crashes, studies have shown.

Car crashes cost $300 billion a year, according to a recent AAA study, and the human cost is even greater. Consumer Reports says a technology known as electronic stability control can dramatically lower the number of deaths in car accidents. Not all vehicles are equipped with the safety feature; in the past, it was often offered as an upgrade. But starting with the 2012 model year, all cars must come with ESC. So does your car have ESC? In the video above, we share how to find out. Plus, see the technology in action.

This video first appeared at SmartPlanet under the headline "Life-saving technology now standard on new cars."

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