ABS and CBS to be made mandatory for two-wheelers from 2017

With an eye on improving safety of two-wheeler riders, the road transport ministry has issued a draft notification to make ABS (antilock braking system) mandatory on two-wheelers. The Government has set a date of April, 2017 for all two-wheeler manufacturers to equip their upcoming motorcycles with ABS for motorcycles above 125cc displacement. This means all new motorcycles sold from April, 2017 will have to be equipped with ABS and the existing vehicles must comply with the norm by April, 2018. In a panic situation most of the riders have a tendency to grab the brake lever which in turn locks the wheel and result in the rider falling. ABS on the other hand doesn’t let the wheel lock up with the help of sensors and is extremely useful on wet and slippery surfaces.

While it wasn’t a secret that the ministry is planning to make ABS mandatory what’s surprising is the fact that even combined braking system CBS will be made mandatory. CBS employs both the brakes even if the rider has applied only the front or rear brakes thereby reducing the stopping distance by close to 15 per cent. . The amount of each brake applied is determined by a proportional control valve. Currently only the Honda motorcycles and scooters come equipped with CBS while few Hero scooters sport it.

The decision to make ABS and CBS mandatory comes at a time when 32,524 deaths were reported in 2014 involving two-wheeler while a whopping 1.27 lakh persons were left injured. With the number of two-wheelers increasing at a steady pace the introduction of these safety features is much appreciated and this should reduce the number of deaths and crashes. While ABS and CBS enhances a riders safety we will urge fellow riders to wear proper riding gear and helmet on all occasions and follow traffic rules every time to make our streets safer.