Motorcycle wreck victims: would antilock brakes have helped you?

Hurt in a Texas motorcycle wreck?  Did you have problems stopping your motorcycle, problems that may have contributed to your crash?  Did your brakes lock up and lead to your accident?  Then you may find this news especially interesting.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has released news about a study showing that antilock brakes significantly cut down on the number of motorcycle fatalities.  The results are so compelling, in their eyes, that they are asking the federal government to make antilock brakes standard on ALL motorcycles sold in the U.S.

Why do antilock brakes make a difference for motorcycle riders?  Motorcycles, as any seasoned rider will tell you, are harder to stop than a car.  This is because when you need to brake a car, you hit one pedal and the car does all the work for you.  When you try to stop a motorcycle, you have only a fraction of a second to decide how to brake, because the front and rear wheels often have separate brake controls.

Not only is it more challenging to brake a motorcycle, but without antilock technology the brakes are prone to lock up if too much pressure is applied too quickly.  This can cause a motorcycle rider to crash, leading to serious injury.

Antilock brakes work by reducing brake pressure when a lockup seems imminent.  With this technology installed on all motorcycles, lives can be saved and needless injuries avoided.