Anti-Lock Brake Systems For Motorcycles
Motorcycle fatalities surpassed over 5,000 in 2008. While preliminary estimates forecast a decline in 2009, there has been a steady increase in motorcycle deaths in recent years compared to a decrease in fatalities for passenger vehicles.
A recent study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) discovered that motorcycles equipped with antilock brakes (ABS) are 37 percent less likely to be involved in a fatal crash than models without ABS. As a result of these findings, the IIHS is calling on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to mandate this ABS technology on all newly manufactured motorcycles.
An additional study by the affiliated Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) found that ABS-equipped motorcycles generated fewer damage claims (22 percent) and lower injury claims (30 percent).
Both studies involved crashes occurring between 2003 and 2008.
Most motorcycles have separate brake controls, one for the front wheel, and one for the rear. If the brakes are hit too hard or with the wrong front/rear distribution, a wheel can lock and cause the loss of control. Alternatively, if the brakes are squeezed too gently, the bike may not stop in time to avoid a crash.
ABS can reduce brake pressure if a lockup is impending or increase pressure again when the bike is under control. It allows the rider to apply the brakes with full force, without holding back due to concerns of locking up a wheel.
In 2009, NHTSA said it would look at the issue but needed more data, No, armed with the IIHS and HLDI studies, the Institute is again calling on the government to mandate ABS on motorcycles.
