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[gary0006]

Video - Motorcycle Fatal Crash ABS Brakes vs Non-ABS



Institute researchers compared the fatal crash experience of antilock-equipped motorcycles against their nonantilock counterparts during 2003-08. 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 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 Institutes earlier study but stated that an additional year of data and additional analyses are needed to determine the statistical significance of the results.

[Richard230]

I believe that these statistics are much more related to the fact that virtually all ABS-equipped motorcycles currently on the road in the US are BMWs, as BMW has been installing ABS on almost every motorcycle sold since 1989. In my opinion the statistics show that BMW riders crash less often than riders of other brands. You would crash less too if you were over 50, had been riding for many years, were riding a touring motorcycle and had paid $16,000 for your bike.

In a related item:  The June 2010 issue of Motorcycle Consumer News on page 9 of their MC Bulletins section states that the federally-funded motorcycle crash study currently being performed to update the 1980's Hurt study has reduced its sample size from 1200 to only 300 crashes. The Federal Government defends the reduction of the sample crashes as being "statistically sound". In response, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation has formally announced that it plans to withhold the $3 million that it had committed to donate toward the federal crash study. Instead they intend to perform their own study in conjunction with the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, using cameras and instrumentation mounted on numerous bikes for 6-18 months. MSF's idea is to see what riders are doing to avoid crashing instead of investigating the crashes after they happen.

Having worked for a local government for 35 years, I can tell you with conviction that we are here to help.