Have ABS brakes reduced the accident rate?
- Thread starter Trump
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Uncle Phil
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As I get older and realize that my reflexes ain't what they used to be, I'll use any tech that I think will help me!
I won't comment on the effectiveness of ABS brakes, I have owned a couple of Goldwings with ABS and never once noticed it making my stopping distance less than bikes without it. In 50+ years of riding, I only recall locking up the rear brake only once and that was on a Yamaha Virago 920 which had a drum rear brake. The incident happened when a driver cut in front of me. I reacted and pulsed the brake and was able to alter my track and go by the truck avoiding a collision.
kiltman
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Apparently so given that the EU has required all bikes over 125 cc employ the technology.
Results: The effectiveness of motorcycle ABS in reducing injury crashes ranged from 24% (95% confidence interval [CI], 12-36) in Italy to 29% (95% CI, 20-38) in Spain, and 34% (95% CI, 16-52) in Sweden. The reductions in severe and fatal crashes were even greater, at 34% (95% CI, 24-44) in Spain and 42% (95% CI, 23-61) in Sweden. The overall reductions of crashes involving ABS-equipped scooters (at least 250 cc) were 27% (95% CI, 12-42) in Italy and 22% (95% CI, 2-42) in Spain. ABS on scooters with at least a 250 cc engine reduced severe and fatal crashes by 31% (95% CI, 12-50), based on Spanish data alone.
Conclusions: At this stage, there is more than sufficient scientific-based evidence to support the implementation of ABS on all motorcycles, even light ones. Further research should aim at understanding the injury mitigating effects of motorcycle ABS, possibly in combination with combined braking systems.
I have yet to experience my ABS on my motorcycle being activated. I have experienced it in my car on an icy road and that was not a pleasant experience...
Results: The effectiveness of motorcycle ABS in reducing injury crashes ranged from 24% (95% confidence interval [CI], 12-36) in Italy to 29% (95% CI, 20-38) in Spain, and 34% (95% CI, 16-52) in Sweden. The reductions in severe and fatal crashes were even greater, at 34% (95% CI, 24-44) in Spain and 42% (95% CI, 23-61) in Sweden. The overall reductions of crashes involving ABS-equipped scooters (at least 250 cc) were 27% (95% CI, 12-42) in Italy and 22% (95% CI, 2-42) in Spain. ABS on scooters with at least a 250 cc engine reduced severe and fatal crashes by 31% (95% CI, 12-50), based on Spanish data alone.
Conclusions: At this stage, there is more than sufficient scientific-based evidence to support the implementation of ABS on all motorcycles, even light ones. Further research should aim at understanding the injury mitigating effects of motorcycle ABS, possibly in combination with combined braking systems.
I have yet to experience my ABS on my motorcycle being activated. I have experienced it in my car on an icy road and that was not a pleasant experience...
My '99 Valkyrie didn't have ABS, or any tech for that matter lol....
I can't count how many times the rear brake locked up on dry but well-driven, smooth country roads trying to stop at a light or stop sign..
I can't count how many times the rear brake locked up on dry but well-driven, smooth country roads trying to stop at a light or stop sign..
NobodySpecial
Site Supporter
I have, at times, ridden my bikes fairly hard.
I can with absolute certainty tell you that my ST's ABS is amazing, non-intrusive, and has probably saved me several times. I will never buy another motorcycle without it. Yes, I've had many bikes and only the ST has had ABS. I've only ever crashed once (offroad, but it was kinda bad). However, the number of times I've "almost" lost it due to slippery conditions, or sand, or gravel, or any other detritus.... a handful. And that is too many. I've done things with the ST that, I believe, would have caused me to crash on any other bike.
I can with absolute certainty tell you that my ST's ABS is amazing, non-intrusive, and has probably saved me several times. I will never buy another motorcycle without it. Yes, I've had many bikes and only the ST has had ABS. I've only ever crashed once (offroad, but it was kinda bad). However, the number of times I've "almost" lost it due to slippery conditions, or sand, or gravel, or any other detritus.... a handful. And that is too many. I've done things with the ST that, I believe, would have caused me to crash on any other bike.
No idea what the facts show, and I've never activated it on my ST. However, my work trucks have all seemed to have a propensity to skid on packed snow and ice and I know that absent the ABS, I would have slid merrily to a halt with a loud CRUNCH, costing me and my insurance co. bags of dough. I will say that the early ABS on a Ford Explorer did frighten me and my wife while driving numerous pass roads in Colorado many years ago. It activated with so much noise and thumping that we thought the car was shedding large pieces. (I was younger then, and more spirited in my driving.)
No........
Clear enough
Upt'North.
Clear enough
Upt'North.
Uncle Phil
Site Supporter
It was a pure guess on my part Phil.If I understand Kiltman's post (#6) ..
Yes ....
But the question, like all questions, probably has more than one answer.
So............yes.........or no.
Upt'North
Why isn’t ABS saving our lives?
Recent stats released make for interesting reading
www.bennetts.co.uk
Quite the leading question, and hardly debatable IMO, but my own personal experience says yes. Multiple studies have come to the same conclusion...
- According to this IIHS study, yes... "ABS was associated with a 31 percent reduction in the rate of fatal motorcycle crashes per 10,000 registered vehicle years "
- Similar results for this study... "The effectiveness of motorcycle ABS in reducing injury crashes ranged from 24% in Italy to 29% in Spain, and 34% in Sweden."
Conclusions: At this stage, there is more than sufficient scientific-based evidence to support the implementation of ABS on all motorcycles, even light ones.
- And this NHTSA study... "After controlling for auto claim frequency, motorcycles equipped with optional ABS were associated with a 21 percent reduction in claim frequency compared with similar motorcycles without ABS."
- And another study from Australia... "The analysis found that ABS resulted in a 33% reduction of all injuries in sensitive crash types and a 39% reduction in severe injuries in these crashes ."
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Uncle Phil
Site Supporter
Kiltman's data (and Paul's) seems to directly contradict the report you cite.Why isn’t ABS saving our lives?
Recent stats released make for interesting reading
I think also that in the UK the rider skill seems to be (in my experience) much more advanced than other places which would (in my thinking) reduce the amount of times an ABS system even kicked in.
As I always say, 'Torture the data enough and it will confess to anything!'
CYYJ
Michael
I don't know what the answer is for the whole world motorcycling community, but I do know that ABS has activated once (and once only) in over 200,000 miles of my motorcycle riding, and that saved me from a small single-vehicle accident (dropping the bike).
So, based on a sample of 1 rider, yes, it has reduced the accident rate.
Michael
Here's the problem... how would you know?
It activates and doesn't cause an accident so no police or insurance report is created. So, how would you even collect those stats? That's assuming you can tell if it's been activated. They've come a long way and in the newer bikes you might not ever know unless it was during an extreme event.
It activates and doesn't cause an accident so no police or insurance report is created. So, how would you even collect those stats? That's assuming you can tell if it's been activated. They've come a long way and in the newer bikes you might not ever know unless it was during an extreme event.
I think it's because the study Upt' North quoted only looks at overall death rate from all causes, and doesn't focus on ABS vs. non-ABS. Even in that study, they said... “My guess is that the effect won't be detectable in the accident statistics, except that the crashes may be at higher speed.” and "Because while deaths and death rates have remained relatively stable, the actual number of less severe accidents has dropped significantly. " This is somewhat inline with what Mellow just posted above. Either way, I wouldn't buy a modern bike without ABS.