When Traction Control Was Made Mandatory

It hasn’t been: no major market has made standalone traction control (TCS) mandatory for road vehicles. Instead, regulators around the world have required Electronic Stability Control (ESC)—a broader safety system that typically includes traction-control functions. ESC mandates arrived in the 2010s in the U.S., European Union, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Australia and others, effectively putting traction-control capability into most new cars. For motorcycles, traction control is not mandated; anti-lock braking systems (ABS) are.

What Regulators Actually Require

“Traction control” prevents wheelspin under acceleration. Regulators, however, focused on Electronic Stability Control, which uses sensors and selective braking to keep a vehicle on its intended path and usually incorporates traction-control algorithms. By mandating ESC, authorities ensured vehicles have both stability and anti-slip capability, without singling out TCS by name.

Global Mandates That Effectively Include Traction Control (ESC)

The following timeline outlines when ESC—encompassing traction-control functionality—became mandatory for passenger cars and light trucks in key markets. Dates differentiate between new vehicle “types/models” and “all new vehicles” on sale.

• United States: NHTSA’s FMVSS No. 126 phased in from 2009, reaching 100% for model year 2012 passenger cars and light trucks.
• European Union: Regulation (EC) No 661/2009 required ESC for new types from November 1, 2011; for all new passenger cars from November 1, 2014.
• Canada: CMVSS 126 applied from September 1, 2011 for new models; full compliance by September 1, 2012 for passenger cars/light trucks (≤4,536 kg GVWR).
• Japan: MLIT mandated Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) for new passenger car types from October 2012; all passenger cars by October 2014; larger vehicles followed later in the decade.
• South Korea: ESC required for new passenger car types from mid-2012; all passenger cars by 2015.
• Australia: New passenger car models (MA) from November 2011; all MA by November 2013. Off-road passenger (MC) and light commercial (NA): new models from November 2013; all by November 2015.
• New Zealand: Aligned with Australia for new vehicles and phased requirements for used imports through the late 2010s.
• Brazil: ESC mandated for new models from 2020 and all light vehicles from 2022 (per Contran resolutions).
• China: ESC requirements expanded across vehicle classes in the late 2010s and early 2020s, with earlier mandates for buses/coaches and phased adoption for passenger cars; exact dates vary by class and standard.
• India: No across-the-board ESC mandate for passenger cars as of 2025, though ABS is required and ESC is increasingly promoted via safety ratings and specific fleet/vehicle-category rules.

While wording and timelines differ, the practical outcome is similar across markets: modern cars are expected to ship with ESC, and therefore with traction-control capability.

Motorcycles and Heavy Vehicles

Motorcycle traction control is not mandated in major markets. Safety rules primarily target braking: the EU requires ABS on new motorcycles above 125cc (phased in from 2016), with combined braking systems (CBS) for smaller bikes; India and several other markets have similar ABS/CBS rules. For heavy vehicles (buses, trucks), many jurisdictions introduced ESC or rollover-stability mandates during the 2010s, often ahead of or alongside passenger-car requirements.

Motorsport: Often the Opposite

In racing, traction control is typically restricted or outright banned to preserve driver skill and competitive parity. For example, Formula 1 has banned traction control since 2008, underscoring that mandates in consumer markets are about safety, not performance.

Bottom Line

Traction control itself was not made mandatory. Instead, governments mandated Electronic Stability Control—starting in the early 2010s across the U.S., EU, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Australia and other regions—which inherently delivers traction-control functionality in most new road cars. Motorcycles do not face traction-control mandates, though ABS is widely required.

Summary

No major jurisdiction directly mandates standalone traction control. ESC, which includes traction-control features, became compulsory for most new passenger vehicles during the 2010s (e.g., U.S. MY2012; EU all new cars by late 2014; Canada 2012; Japan 2014; South Korea 2015; Australia 2013–2015; Brazil 2020–2022; China phased late 2010s–early 2020s). Motorcycles are not required to have traction control, though ABS is widely mandated.

Did 2006 F1 cars have traction control?

Fully-automatic gearboxes, and systems such as launch control and traction control were banned in the 2000s to keep driver skill and involvement important in controlling the car, and reduce costs.

Is traction control legally required?

Traction control is not strictly necessary but is a highly recommended active safety feature that is now required on all new cars sold in the U.S.. It prevents wheelspin and helps a vehicle maintain grip and stability on slippery surfaces like rain, snow, or gravel. While most drivers should leave it on for maximum safety, it can be deactivated in rare situations, such as getting unstuck from deep mud, sand, snow, or ice.
 
Benefits of Traction Control

• Improved Safety: It’s an active safety feature that helps prevent loss of control by reducing wheel spin during acceleration. 
• Enhanced Grip: The system applies subtle braking to the misbehaving wheel or reduces engine power when it detects a wheel spinning too fast. 
• Smoother Driving: It contributes to a smoother driving experience, especially in adverse conditions. 
• Increased Confidence: Drivers can feel more confident in challenging conditions like rain or snow. 

When to Consider Turning it Off
While generally beneficial, there are rare exceptions when turning off traction control is appropriate: 

• Getting Unstuck: If your vehicle is stuck in deep mud, sand, snow, or ice, turning off traction control allows the wheels to spin freely and potentially dig through the obstacle to find firmer ground. 
• High-Performance Driving: In some motorsports or specialized driving scenarios, drivers may temporarily deactivate the system to have more direct control over the vehicle. 

Key Takeaway
For normal daily driving, keeping traction control on is crucial for maintaining control and safety. You should only turn it off when absolutely necessary for specific situations where the system’s intervention would be a hindrance rather than a help.

When was traction control banned?

1994
2001 – Traction control returns Formula One teams decided to lift the ban on traction control, in place since 1994. The technology, which prevents wheel-spin, was suspected to be secretly used by some teams and went undetected by FIA scrutineers.

When did traction control become standard in cars?

Cars first received rudimentary traction control in the early 1970s, with the 1971 Buick Riviera featuring a system called MaxTrac. More modern, widespread electronic traction control developed through the 1980s and 1990s, leveraging the anti-lock brake (ABS) sensors already in use. The 1990s saw the beginning of wider adoption, and traction control became a standard feature on nearly all new vehicles in the U.S. due to federal mandates starting in the 2012 model year. 
Early Innovations (1970s) 

• 1971: The Buick Riviera offered MaxTrac, an early version that detected and reduced power to spinning rear wheels.
• 1979: Cadillac introduced the Traction Monitoring System (TMS) on the Eldorado.

Development and Widespread Use (1980s-1990s) 

• 1980s: Traction control evolved, with manufacturers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz introducing more advanced systems that integrated with anti-lock braking (ABS). 
• 1990s: With advancements in computerized engine controls and the widespread use of ABS wheel-speed sensors, traction control systems became more sophisticated, often controlling both engine power and braking to prevent wheel slip. 

Mandatory Standard (2012-Present) 

• 2012: Traction control, along with anti-lock brakes (ABS) and electronic stability control (ESC), became a standard safety feature on all new cars and light trucks sold in the U.S.