Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), first used by Toyota in selected 1997 Lexus models, is neither a new nor an exclusive technology. But Toyota is proud of the fact that VSC is standard on every new Lexus, all of its SUVs, most of its Sienna minivans, and the Scion xB. VSC is available as an option on almost all other vehicles the company sells in North America.

Working through a vehicle’s antilock braking system (ABS) and traction control system, VSC employs three sensors to detect and react to a lateral, or sideways, skid. By calculating data gathered by the lateral G-sensor, yaw-rate sensor, and steering angle sensor, VSC can tell when a vehicle’s direction of travel differs from the driver’s inputs at the wheel. Under those conditions, VSC activates both the traction system’s throttle control and the ABS to help correct a skid and keep the vehicle traveling on the driver’s intended path. VSC engagement is preceded by a beep inside the vehicle to warn the driver that the system has determined that a skid is about to occur.

This year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) concluded that uncontrolled lateral skids resulting from sudden steering input and changing road conditions cause a significant number of injuries and fatalities in single-car accidents. VSC, and other systems like it, helps to prevent these kinds of accidents.