cv_rider
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A study released yesterday says that fatalities in ABS-equipped motorcycles was 38% lower than non-ABS bikes:
Antilock Brakes Could Cut Motorcycle Fatalities
This is a pretty compelling piece of information. Would be enough for me to consider upgrading to a bike that had it (don't EU models of FZ6 have ABS?). Whenever you see a statistic, it gives you no info about cause-and-effect. It could well be that there are fewer deaths because a) people concerned about safety enough to spring the extra grand for ABS ride better to start with; b) the types of bikes that have it (mostly sport-tourers?) attract a more sedate more skilled set of riders (supposition).
Two key excerpts:
"The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said Wednesday that the fatal crash rate involving motorcycles equipped with optional antilock brakes, or ABS, was 38 percent lower than the rate involving similar motorcycles without the systems.
"...Safety officials have been concerned about a steady rise in motorcycle deaths. More than 5,100 motorcyclists died in 2007, compared with 2,294 fatalities in 1998. The deaths have climbed as vehicle miles traveled have grown by more than 20 percent during the period and motorcycle registrations have surpassed 6 million, compared with 3.8 million in 1998. In the report, researchers studied eight motorcycles that offer antilock brakes as an option. They found there were 6.6 fatal crashes per 10,000 registered motorcycles without antilocks in 2005-2006. The rate for the same bikes equipped with antilocks was 4.1, or 38 percent lower, during the same period."
Antilock Brakes Could Cut Motorcycle Fatalities
This is a pretty compelling piece of information. Would be enough for me to consider upgrading to a bike that had it (don't EU models of FZ6 have ABS?). Whenever you see a statistic, it gives you no info about cause-and-effect. It could well be that there are fewer deaths because a) people concerned about safety enough to spring the extra grand for ABS ride better to start with; b) the types of bikes that have it (mostly sport-tourers?) attract a more sedate more skilled set of riders (supposition).
Two key excerpts:
"The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said Wednesday that the fatal crash rate involving motorcycles equipped with optional antilock brakes, or ABS, was 38 percent lower than the rate involving similar motorcycles without the systems.
"...Safety officials have been concerned about a steady rise in motorcycle deaths. More than 5,100 motorcyclists died in 2007, compared with 2,294 fatalities in 1998. The deaths have climbed as vehicle miles traveled have grown by more than 20 percent during the period and motorcycle registrations have surpassed 6 million, compared with 3.8 million in 1998. In the report, researchers studied eight motorcycles that offer antilock brakes as an option. They found there were 6.6 fatal crashes per 10,000 registered motorcycles without antilocks in 2005-2006. The rate for the same bikes equipped with antilocks was 4.1, or 38 percent lower, during the same period."