What is traction control in cars?

Traction control (TC) is a safety feature in cars designed to prevent loss of traction by limiting the amount of power delivered to the wheels. It works by monitoring the speed of each wheel. If one wheel starts spinning faster than the others (indicating a loss of grip, often on a slippery surface like ice, snow, or loose gravel), the traction control system reduces engine power or brakes that specific wheel to regain traction.

Essentially, it helps keep the car from spinning out or losing control when accelerating, especially on surfaces with low friction. Different systems may use different methods to achieve this, including:

* Reducing engine power: The system decreases the power sent to the engine, limiting acceleration.

* Applying individual wheel brakes: The system briefly applies the brakes to the spinning wheel, slowing it down and transferring power to the wheels with better grip.

* Adjusting throttle input: Some advanced systems can even subtly adjust the amount of throttle applied by the driver to maintain traction.

Traction control is different from stability control (ESC or ESP), though they often work together. While traction control focuses primarily on wheel spin during acceleration, stability control addresses loss of control during cornering or other maneuvers by applying brakes to individual wheels to help maintain directional stability.