AUTHORITIES responsible for traffic safety in the United States of America are taking a serious look at making anti-lock brakes compulsory, following a recent study.

An article in today's Detroit News suggest the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) are concerned about the rising rate of motorcycle deaths in the US.

Part of the article reads:

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) also is considering requiring new safety features on motorcycles, which accounted for a growing percentage of road deaths.

The agency plans to decide by next year whether to require anti-lock brakes on motorcycles.

An insurance institute study showed that the rate of fatal crashes was 28 percent lower for motorcycles equipped with optional anti-lock brakes than for those same motorcycles without them.

Motorcycle deaths have more than doubled since 1997, from 2,116 to 5,154 in 2007. The motorcycle fatality rate has also nearly doubled from 21 per million miles traveled in 1997 to 39 in 2007. Injuries also have doubled.

Should ABS become compulsory if it can contribute to reducing road deaths?

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I think it's a blindingly stupid idea... and choice should rule the day. Like stupid DrLs... I want my fucking light switch back, thanks.

What ABS actually does is make a poor rider 28% less likely to hurt themselves. Good for them... until they learn how to use the brakes properly, but for the rest of us it'd mean unlearning everything we've learnt about braking effectively.

Why is it everyone thinks they have the rule over YOUR safety when in actual fact you're the best judge of that... and in any event, [they] couldn't give a tinkers for you if it came to it, so why the pretence. Give us back our own responsibility to conduct our own lives & look after our own safety as we see fit, please.... because, at the end of the day, its none of your fucking business. Period.

I think any study in the US using statistics gathered in the US is going to be very flawed. There are very few models offered here with ABS, and most of those are marketed towards an older, more mature, more experienced crowd that already will have a much lower death rate than newer riders no matter what brakes they have on there bikes.

Mandatory is bullshit!

Optional for only those who want it.

The bikes with ABS don't include the helmetless HD goons that drink as much as possible on their bikes. Then ride slow in the middle of the road impeding traffic.

It's bullshit, don't let em do it.....

That's it right there!

Not to push the obvious "hot button", but lately the American electorate has demonstrated that they want more government in their personal lives, deciding what is "good" for them... Putting limits on earnings, giving tax billions to indiscriminate entities with varying rules/regulations (if any @ all [AIG]), "firing" corporate chiefs without any understanding of the business world per se...

This kind of senseless legislation actually stands a chance of passing in the current political climate... It's also possible that our ammunition will become regulated to the degree that it becomes too cumbersome/expensive to shoot a goddam gun...

Change you can believe in, I believe is the term...

Just my $.02...