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Motorcycle Fatal Crash: ABS vs Non-ABS

Staff
05/06/2010

ABS Brake Video

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) researchers compared the fatal crash experience of antilock-equipped motorcycles against their non-antilock counterparts from 2003 to 2008.

The main finding is that motorcycles with antilocks versus without are 37 percent less likely to be in fatal crashes per 10,000 registered vehicle years.

Bolstering this finding is a separate analysis by the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), an affiliate of the Insurance Institute. HLDI analyzed insurance claims filed for crash damage to motorcycles.

Bike models with antilocks have 22 percent fewer claims for crash damage per insured vehicle year (a vehicle year is 1 vehicle insured for 1 year, 2 insured for 6 months, etc.) than the same streetbike models without antilocks. The results update earlier studies by the Institute and HLDI published in 2008.

In 2009 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced that it was looking at the issue in light of the Institute's earlier study but stated that "an additional year of data and additional analyses are needed to determine the statistical significance of the results."

Comments

Bikes riding is the most dangerous vehicle. Brakes are the most important trick which every bikes rider have to learn to avoid accident. Every rides must have full knowledge bike riding safety rules and regulations.
Test Drive

I think every rider should have a knowledge of motorcycle safety studies so that rider can enjoy a responsible motorcycling and lifetime of safe.
Kawasaki Motorcycles

In emergency situations rider concentration is compromised. I ride with linked braking system or what i call anti-stupid brakes. They always stop straight. But ABS takes it to the next level in situations which only linked braking systems may not be optimum. Electronic help the rider out of bad situations. I am all for it. As for rendering the rear brake in slow speed turns useless that is not true. You just have to know how the brakes are proportioned and use them accordingly.

Without looking at the details, it is possible that these numbers just reflect that ABS came out on touring bikes first and the average touring rider is less likely to go lane splitting at 150 mph.

Not so. BMW`s have linked brakes and the foot brake operates just the rear caliper.

the numbers are hard to argue with... thanks for the great post.

That's a very interesting study. While it's true that bikes have the separate systems, it's also true that a linked braking system would render the riders ability to use the rear brake in slow-speed turns useless.