Anti-lock brakes urged for motorcycles

DETROIT — A federal safety agency is recommending that all new motorcycles built for road use in the U.S. have anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control as standard equipment.

The National Transportation Safety Board voted 5-0 on Tuesday to make the recommendations to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which has authority to impose regulations. The agency would not comment Tuesday.

During a public hearing Tuesday, the safety board said that while the technology is required on passenger cars, it has lagged for motorcycles and requiring it would save lives. The agency said 5,286 motorcyclists were killed on U.S. roads in 2016, the last year for which statistics are available.

“Riders need more time to react. They need motorcycles that perform better in a potential emergency,” safety board Chairman Robert Sumwalt said after the recommendations were approved. Sumwalt said the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety determined that anti-lock brakes could reduce motorcycle fatalities by 31 percent. “That is a sizable safety benefit that the U.S. is leaving on the table, leaving on the pavement, actually,” he said.

Anti-lock brakes pump many times per second to stop wheels from locking up and skidding. Electronic stability control is more advanced, applying brakes and power to the wheels to keep a vehicle stable, especially when on a curve.