John Fiske Brown Associates, Inc.

                                
 LATEST EFFECTS ON FATALITIES BY ABS EQUIPPED  MOTORCYCLES.

 By Eric Shapiro, A.S.E.

As technology has created a boon in home entertainment, its more valuable application has been to the safety systems in modern machinery. Specifically, ABS (Antilock Braking System) technology has been increasingly applied to the modern motorcycle and has become an effective Primary Safety device that can prevent serious injuries under the right circumstances. As of 2010, ABS has seen its way to a larger spectrum of motorcycles than any time in the past and there have been rumors that ABS may become a required installation per government edicts.

The first implementation of ABS on a motorcycle occurred in the spring of 1988 when BMW installed the system on their K100 motorcycles. By 1989, 70 percent of all K100 purchasers were ordering their motorcycles with the improved braking technology. Honda followed BMW by installing ABS on their 1992 ST1100. The delayed arrival of ABS to motorcycles related to its additional cost and the disquieting brake lever pulsing experienced by riders when an ABS condition was invoked. However, because of its effectiveness, the cost/benefit analysis has skewed in favor of ABS by a greater percentage of the motorcycle riding population.

The proof of this acceptance became apparent in a 2010 report by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). When BMW first marketed ABS on the K100 it was the only manufacturer so doing. By 2010, BMW had been followed by at least 9 manufacturers.

The manufacturers were right to automate threshold braking via ABS because little has changed in the 20+ years since Harry Hurt published Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures, Volume 1: Technical Report. In the report, Professor Hurt identified improper pre-collision braking and the inability to effectively swerve and countersteer a motorcycle as significant rider induced errors that contributed to the investigated collisions. Despite the recent proliferation of rider training, many motorcyclists still fail to use their brakes effectively when encountering an emergency situation. Motorcyclists have continued to over-brake the rear wheel and skid the rear tire as well as under-brake the front wheel. This misuse of the brakes causes reduced pre-collision braking deceleration and increases the velocity during an impact thus increasing the likelihood of human injury.

The aforementioned IIHS report used 13 motorcycle makes and models to highlight the affect of ABS on motorcycle accident fatalities. The model years ranged from 2001 to 2008 and included only models that were available in ABS and non-ABS variants. The purpose of the report was to investigate whether the introduction of ABS had reduced the risk of suffering a fatality while operating a motorcycle.

Once the data was compiled, it was found that ABS equipped motorcycles were involved in relationally fewer collisions. While ABS equipped motorcycles were involved in 4.1 fatalities per 10,000 registered vehicle years, non-ABS equipped motorcycles were involved in 6.4 fatalities per 10,000 registered vehicle years. In all, the data revealed that ABS motorcycles were 37% less likely to be involved in fatality collisions.

Despite modern improvements to sensitivity, the on/off cycling nature of ABS continues to inhibit its effectiveness on a motorcycle that is negotiating a turn. However, there can be no doubt that motorcycling and ABS belong together. ABS has and will continue to save lives.

Mr. Shapiro is an expert on motorcycles, automotives and accident reconstruction with John Fiske Brown, Assoc. (JFBA.NET) For more related information see Motorcycle Accident Reconstruction and Litigation, Lawyers and Judges Publishing Co. (5^th Edition due out Q-4, 2010).