NHTSA Complaint #10550924 — 2013 FORD FOCUS

I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND WAS PUTTING SOME GAS ON TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE DEEP SNOW TO THE CENTER OF THE ROAD WHERE THE SNOW WAS COMPACTED. I WOULD HAVE MADE IT TO THE CENTER; HOWEVER THE TRACTION CONTROL REDUCED THE POWER TO THE DRIVE WHEELS GETTING ME STUCK IN THE SNOW, BLOCKING HALF OF THE LANE. IF THIS WOULD HAVE OCCURRED IN ONCOMING TRAFFIC I MIGHT HAVE BEEN HIT. I HAD TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE WHICH ALSO PUT ME AT A HIGHER RISK OF GETTING HIT BY A CAR, OR SLIPPING AND FALLING, OR GETTING FROST BITE. IF I HAD THE OPTION OF TURNING OFF THE TRACTION CONTROL I COULD HAVE GOTTEN MYSELF OUT OF THE SNOW AND CONTINUED ON MY WAY SAFELY. CONVERSELY, IF I DID NOT HAVE THE TRACTION CONTROL ON IN THE FIRST PLACE I WOULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN STUCK. THIS BROUGHT TO MIND A FEW CRITICAL QUESTIONS: 1. WHAT IF THIS HAD HAPPENED IN A MORE REMOTE AREA AND I HAD BEEN STRANDED IN FREEZING WEATHER WITHOUT HELP; AND 2. WHAT IF THIS HAD HAPPENED IN A MORE CONGESTED ROADWAY AND I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN HIT DUE TO THE RANDOM OPERATION OF THE TRACTION CONTROL WITHOUT A WAY TO DISABLE THE FEATURE. BECAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT I FEEL UNSAFE WITH THE TRACTION CONTROL ON, SO I HAVE DISABLED IT. TO DO SO I HAD TO PULL THE FUSE, WHICH ALSO DISABLED THE ABS. I HAVE DRIVEN FOR OVER HALF OF MY DRIVING CAREER WITHOUT ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL AND I CAN HONESTLY SAY THAT ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL HAS NEVER BENEFITED ME, EVEN WHEN I NEEDED THE FEATURES. A CONCERTED INVESTIGATION NEEDS TO BE MADE TO DETERMINE IF FORCING THIS FEATURE ON DRIVERS IS A BETTER POLICY THAN ALLOWING THE DRIVER'S EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING TO BE THE CONTROLLING FORCE WHEN BEHIND THE WHEEL. I BELIEVE THAT THERE MUST BE, IN ALL CASES, A WAY TO TURN OFF THE TRACTION CONTROL FEATURE IN A VEHICLE FOR THE SAFETY OF THE DRIVER AND THEIR PASSENGERS. *TR