I had no idea that ESC was required by law. Sure enough, you're right; U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Rule 126 [1]: "require electronic stability control (ESC) systems on passenger cars, multipurpose passenger vehicles, trucks, and buses with a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 Kg (10,000 pounds) or less"

Apparently similar laws exist in Canada, Australia, and the EU. I guess you learn something new every day.

[1] http://www.nhtsa.gov/Laws+&+Regulations/Electronic+Stabi...