Should ESP be turned on or off when driving on the highway?
2 Answers
Under normal driving conditions, ordinary car owners should not easily turn off the ESP system. The ESP system has the following functions: 1. ESP analyzes the vehicle's driving state information from various sensors and then sends correction instructions to systems like ABS and EBD to help maintain the vehicle's dynamic balance. ESP can keep the vehicle in optimal stability under various conditions, with more noticeable effects in cases of oversteering or understeering; 2. ESP is a very important function in a car's active safety system. It may silently assist the owner in emergency situations. However, owners should not blindly assume that ESP can make the car drive faster or have better handling; 3. ESP cannot improve the car's limits or handling, and it can only provide effective and correct intervention within a certain speed range, ensuring the car does not lose control in specific situations (such as emergency avoidance or slippery roads).
Never turn off ESP on the highway because high speeds can easily lead to danger. Once when I was on a long-distance drive, my car suddenly skidded sideways on the rainy highway. Fortunately, the ESP intervened in time to help me stabilize the direction, preventing a collision with the guardrail. It acts as an invisible assistant for the vehicle, automatically adjusting braking force and power during turns or sudden stops to prevent loss of control and skidding. On highways with dense traffic, slippery roads, or during emergency maneuvers, turning off ESP increases the risk of accidents. Of course, in some off-road or recovery scenarios, it might be temporarily turned off, but the highway is a completely different world. Keeping ESP on is like adding an extra safety bumper for yourself. It’s essential to check if the ESP indicator on the dashboard is off before every highway trip. Developing this habit can greatly enhance driving confidence.
