The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed that electronic stability control (ESC) become a standard on all model year 2012 cars, which is certainly a potential boon to all suppliers of the technology. One of them, Autoliv (www.autoliv.com; Stockholm), has developed a simplified architecture for the electronics. They’ve integrated electronics for ESC and airbags. That is, the conventional approach is to have separate systems for each. This means not only are there separate electronic control units, but also what can be considered redundant sensors, microprocessors, circuit boards, power suppliers, and housings. This duplication is eliminated with the Autoliv system, which is scheduled to appear on MY ’09 vehicles. The ramifications of this development: reduced materials costs as well as reduced manufacturing costs (i.e., minimized wiring and installation).