An Examination of Motorcycle Antilock Brake Systems in Reducing Crash Risk

Abstract

To prevent wheel lockup (and possible loss-of-control and capsize) during hard braking, motorcycle manufacturers have equipped motorcycles with antilock brake systems (ABS) either as an option or as standard equipment. Several studies utilizing real-world crash data have been published, which estimate the effectiveness of motorcycle ABS in reducing the risk of a crash based on varying assumptions. These investigations have reported mixed results. The present investigation relies upon the fatality analysis reporting system (FARS) and the Florida police-reported crash databases to further investigate the effectiveness of motorcycle ABS by expanding upon and refining previous approaches. Notably, a case-control approach is used, whereby crashes involving ABS- and non-ABS-equipped motorcycles are divided into five groups with a varying likelihood that ABS will affect the risk of crashes in that group. The group of crashes with the least likelihood of being influenced by ABS is considered the control group and used as a measure of exposure to crashes. This methodology attempts to reduce any selection biases that might exist in the two motorcycle classes. The results support the hypothesis that ABS is effective in reducing the crash risk in some crash types. However, it was found that the case-control approach does not incorporate all factors that might influence the overall effectiveness of ABS, e.g., motorcycle class and operator age. Accounting for these additional factors would likely require the use of regression analyses and would benefit significantly from additional data.

Predicción de accidentes viales en Cartagena, Colombia, con árboles de decisión y reglas de asociación

“…Entre otras políticas, estrategias y contramedidas para mejorar la seguridad vial del motociclista y las recomendaciones de la WHO (2017), se deben considerar: promover la cultura y la educación en seguridad vial para motociclistas (Segui-Gomez y Lopez-Valdes, 2007); analizar los informes de accidentes en motocicletas para conocer los factores de riesgo asociados (Schneider IV et al 2012); campañas de seguridad vial en los usuarios más vulnerables en las edades de 15 a 30 años (Zambon y Hasselberg, 2006;Ivers et al, 2016); promover el uso de elementos protectores (casco, guantes, espinilleras, coderas, airbags, protectores lumbares) (Li et al, 2008;Donate-López et al, 2010;Bourdet et al, 2012); restringir y sancionar la conducción bajo la influencia de drogas y alcohol (Peek-Asa y Kraus, 1996; Albalate y Fernández-Villadangos, 2010); Controlar la velocidad según el tipo de carretera (Clabaux et al, 2012); mejorar la calidad de las carreteras o diseñar carriles exclusivos (Daniello y Gabler, 2011;Sager et al, 2014); mejorar las condiciones mecánicas y el mantenimiento (e.g. frenos ABS, neumáticos de calidad, sistema antichoque y estabilización) (Langley et al, 2000;Fowler et al, 2016;Rizzi et al, 2016); mejorar la visibilidad del motociclista (por ejemplo, con el usos de chalecos, reflectantes, o sistemas de iluminación) (Cercarelli et al, 1992., Clarke et al, 2007; mejorar las condiciones de seguridad vial, como la señalización, la iluminación y la infraestructura (Quddus et al, 2001, Haque et al 2009Schneider IV et al, 2010;Pai, 2011); prohibir el transporte y la exposición de niños en motocicletas (Brown et al, 2018); penalizar las infracciones y las conductas de riesgo (i.e. exceso de capacidad, maniobras) (Elliott et al, 2007); y restringir la manipulación de dispositivos electrónicos mientras se conduce (Truong et al, 2019).…”

Does ABS Ensure Good Performance in Emergency Braking for Less Skilled Motorcyclists?

“…From the literature, the scenario where specific braking skills are required and with the highest risk to cause serious injuries involves an oncoming car initiating an unexpected Left Turn Across the Path (LTAP) of a motorcycle (Huertas-Leyva et al, 2021) mostly due to failure to yield to motorcyclists at intersections (Clarke et al, 2007). This type of crash was also identified as one in which ABS can reduce collision risk to a greater extent (Fowler et al, 2016).…”