According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety,
motorcycle fatalities could be reduced by as much as thirty
three percent or more if the Federal Government required that
motorcycles be equipped with anti-lock brakes. Adrian Lund, who
is President of the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety said,
“new research shows that anti-lock brake technology can make
motorcycle riding a much safer way to get around”. The group
asked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on
Thursday to make regulation requiring that motorcycle
manufacturers be required to equip the bikes that they sell with
anti-lock brakes, citing that until 2009 motorcycle fatalities
increased each year, the highest point climbing to 5,290
fatalities in 2008. But manufacturers claim that the added cost
will be prohibitive, costing consumers much more money.
Manufacturers themselves estimate that it will cost them
approximately $1000 per bike to add anti-lock brakes. It isn’t
just the cost that concerns manufacturers and motorcycle