Perhaps the easiest way of explaining how useful traction control actually is would be to perform a practical test. You drive the BMW M3 with the traction control switched on. I drive the other identical BMW M3 with the traction control turned off. We find a very slippery straight piece of road. The road might be slippery, having had a fresh dousing of rain; or maybe the rain has frozen slightly, making driving conditions icy and slightly dangerous. We both line up side by side and then race to the red letterbox down the road at 500 metres when the clock starts. Do I really need to tell you which driver would arrive first to the letterbox?

That’s right. Because you are driving the BMW M3 with the traction control switched on, you will enjoy the feeling of being a winner. With the traction control activated, your BMW M3’s traction control device will be limiting the tendency of one driving wheel to rotate faster than its opposite number during acceleration. The limited slippage of your M3’s driving wheels will mean that you, as the driver, will experience greater control of your car, and quicker acceleration when compared to the more erratic and slower progress of my M3. Traction control’s a winner!We hope that helps answer the question ‘What is What is Traction Control?’!

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