![Picture](/uploads/2/3/7/0/23708642/5545803.png?393)
What it is and what it does
Traction control is a crash avoidance feature that is in place to help a vehicle accelerate on low-friction surfaces, such as roads that are wet, icy or uneven. Traction control’s main purpose is to prevent wheel slip. Wheel slip occurs when the tires of a car do not gain any grip on the road, despite the driver accelerating the car. Wheel slip is very unpredictable and can often lead to drivers losing control of their vehicle.
How it works
Traction control is made up of three main features:
Development
In the early 1970s, some rear-wheel drive vehicles had early versions of traction control. However, the first actual traction control systems were not introduced until 1987, and this was only in select vehicles.
Today, traction control is available in any vehicle that also has an Anti-lock Breaking System (ABS). This is due to the fact that traction control was designed off of ABS systems and is also designed to work along with it. Currently, manufacturers are designing a traction control system that has the hydraulic modulator and ECU attached together, despite their separate functions.
Traction control is a crash avoidance feature that is in place to help a vehicle accelerate on low-friction surfaces, such as roads that are wet, icy or uneven. Traction control’s main purpose is to prevent wheel slip. Wheel slip occurs when the tires of a car do not gain any grip on the road, despite the driver accelerating the car. Wheel slip is very unpredictable and can often lead to drivers losing control of their vehicle.
How it works
Traction control is made up of three main features:
- Wheel speed sensors that detect the speed the car’s wheels are turning at.
- A hydraulic modulator that applies the breaks in continuous short bursts.
- An electronic control unit (ECU) that receives the information from the wheel speed sensors and operates the hydraulic modulator when necessary.
Development
In the early 1970s, some rear-wheel drive vehicles had early versions of traction control. However, the first actual traction control systems were not introduced until 1987, and this was only in select vehicles.
Today, traction control is available in any vehicle that also has an Anti-lock Breaking System (ABS). This is due to the fact that traction control was designed off of ABS systems and is also designed to work along with it. Currently, manufacturers are designing a traction control system that has the hydraulic modulator and ECU attached together, despite their separate functions.