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More and more cars are coming standard with traction control systems. While we all should practice safe driving, these systems will help during those times we forget, or get trapped in a bad situation over which we have no control.

The show wasn't without some gratuitous display of traction control at work. Ford had a little cockpit you could seatbelt yourself into. This simulator would shake and shimmy and throw you around, demonstrating what it would be like to drive in an emergency with and without the "Advance-Trac with Roll-Stability Control" system.

Strap yourself in.
Get ready to feel like a paint can in a mixer.

The technology uses two gyroscopic sensors. These constantly monitor your car's roll rate, skid rate and direction of the car. This information tells a computer whether or not your car is close to tipping over or sliding out of control. If this is the case, the system will hit the breaks or will reduce engine torque on individual wheels to correct the problem. This is particularly important for more top-heavy vehicles like SUVs.

While not as important as a seat belt, recent studies (here and here) have shown that traction control systems are a strong factor in preventing crashes.