StabiliTrak Helps Keep Your GMC Shiny Side Up

GMC Terrain

No one wants to be out of control. Behind the wheel, we like to feel as though we’re master and commander of the open road. So, when we give up control of something, it’d better be for good reason. The 2011 GMC Terrain will take control and help keep you on the road when it senses that there is trouble. This is thanks to StabiliTrak technology. Not since the introduction of seatbelts has there been such a positive advance in vehicle safety.

StabiliTrak is an advanced, computer-assisted technology that helps with directional control under difficult driving conditions. When the vehicle’s computer system senses a difference between the direction of travel and intended direction of travel, StabiliTrak will selectively apply the brakes and, in some instances, may even reduce engine power output to aid in direction correction. This happens in less than one second.

A member of the StabiliTrak development team, Bret Dick, describes the technology as a milestone in crash avoidance. “The best crash is the crash you avoid,” Dick said. “Active safety systems like StabiliTrak with traction control are designed to keep the GMC Terrain on the road while avoiding spinouts. Future developments will build on this technology to make the roads safer for all drivers.”

Dick’s interest in safety engineering goes all the way back to his childhood home in Rochester, New York, and BMX trail riding. “Racing BMX bikes started a lifelong curiosity into how things work,” Dick said. “Even today, when I see a piece of machinery or electronics, I intuitively start breaking it down in my head to figure out what makes it tick.”

This technology is already making drastic improvements in safety on America’s roadways. Introduced by GMC in 2003, StabiliTrak and other similar technologies have reduced the chances of being involved in a fatal crash by 1/3 over the last 10 years, this according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

General Motors was the first domestic manufacturer to implement electronic stability control. This is just one, among many, safety technologies designed to protect passengers before, during, and after an accident. The Terrain also features Rollover Mitigation, Trailer Sway Control, and Panic Brake Assist. In the event that a crash does occur, OnStar’s Automatic Crash Response will alert first responders so that medical assistance can be on-site as quickly as possible.

Safety features such as these, and the feeling of protection that they create, helped GMC close the first quarter of 2011 with retail sales up 31 percent; making March GMC’s 18th consecutive month of sales growth. GMC sales are up 11 percent over the previous year.

“The first quarter showed continued strong consumer demand for GMC’s capable, fuel efficient, well-equipped trucks, sport utilities and crossovers,” said Brian Sweeney, U.S. vice president of Buick & GMC Sales and Service. “Terrain, in particular, attracted buyers with its segment-leading fuel economy.”

The Terrain, as well as the rest of the GMC and Buick product lines, is available at McKenzie Motors in Milton, Florida. If you have questions regarding StabiliTrak, OnStar or anything auto related, call, email, stop in, or find us on facebook.