Open Letter to Congress and NHTSA: A Case for Mandatory ABS (and ESC)

written by David Mixson

MANDATORY ABS, LOWSIDES AND HIGHSIDES, FEATURED ARTICLES, OPEN LETTERS

I‘m a huge proponent of anti-lock braking systems (ABS) for motorcycles, and it has nothing to do with stopping distances.

So much so that I believe Congress should Federally mandate ABS on all on-street motorcycles sold in the U.S. And while you’re at it, go ahead and mandate Electronic Stability Control (ESC), also referred to by some as Motorcycle Stability Control (MSC).

The technology exists and is readily available.

Folks who have read my books or listened to my podcast know I like using my engineering background to break down topics in an easy-to-understand format. In this article, I’m going to attempt exactly that.

Executive Summary

Nearly half of all motorcycle fatalities are due to rider error, and the numbers are increasing—even with mandatory training, better brakes and tires, and plenty of books on the subject. In 2021, motorcycle fatalities in the U.S. reached an all-time high of 5932 deaths (and 82,686 injuries).¹ We need a fresh approach.

Two of the most common crash scenarios are when a rider lowsides or highsides. I explain lowsides in-depth here and highsides here. What’s important to note is that these crashes are almost always triggered when a rider (1) locks up (skids) their rear tire by over-braking, or (2) spins their rear tire by over-accelerating.

ABS prevents tires from skidding. ESC prevents the rear tire from spinning. Mandatory ABS and ESC for all on-street motorcycles would prevent thousands of crashes every year and save hundreds of lives—more than mandatory helmet laws in every state would (opinion).

And note how I didn’t even mention stopping distance as an argument for ABS—mainly because it’s not its main benefit.

I believe we still don’t have a Congressional mandate for ABS on motorcycles because we’re using the wrong argument. ABS proponents argue that ABS shortens stopping distances for most riders, while anti-ABS proponents argue that top riders can stop more quickly with conventional brakes. In this case, neither side wins because both sides are right. So, Congress does nothing.

Avoidable Crashes

Of all the topics I write about, I’m the most passionate about explaining lowside and highside crashes (what are they, what triggers them, and how riders can avoid them).

This is partly because the old-school motorcycle mega books from the past gloss over the topic like it’s the plague. But mostly, it’s because lowside and highside crashes are almost always rider-induced and avoidable. I explain lowside and highside crashes in more depth in these articles.

› The Ultimate Guide to Preventing Most Rider-Induced Crashes

› Lowside Crashes: Understanding and Preventing Rider-Induced Lowsides

› Highside Crashes: Understanding and Preventing Rider-Induced Highsides

Quickie Definitions

In a nutshell, a lowside is when your motorcycle slides on its side, and you slide onto the ground behind it. See Figure 1 (below).

Figure 1 Lowside Crash

(Bike Dumps Rider)

A highside is when your motorcycle tosses you up and over the handlebars. See Figure 2 (below). Also, see the crash videos below.

Figure 2 Highside Crash

(Bike Launches Rider)

I go into more detail in the articles mentioned above about what triggers lowside and highside crashes. Here, I’ll just make the point that bad things happen when you lock up (or spin) your rear tire.

The crash data doesn’t lie. What we’re doing isn’t working. We need a fresh approach—and ABS and ESC on every new motorcycle sold in the U.S. should be a part of this approach.

Strong Opposition

I like to present both sides of every argument because it often leads to a resolution. I presented (and debunked) the most common arguments against ABS that I hear from riders in Three Disadvantages of ABS: Debunked.

I spent my morning looking at online motorcycle forums, and there are certainly some passionate riders against ABS.

The arguments against ABS seem to focus on stopping distances and the rider having full control (pop a testosterone pill, beat on chest) of his motorcycle without electronics getting in his way. The loudest folks chanted,

“I don’t need any stinking electronics to help me ride better.”

I hypothesize these are the riders who need ABS and ESC the most— perhaps the same riders who brag their bike has never seen the rain? Just a guess.

I wrote about this in The Wrong Argument for ABS: Why Proponents Are Losing the Debate. Here, I’ll just make this point.

If the naysayers would look past the stopping distance argument and instead focus on the fact that ABS and ESC prevent rider-induced lowside and highside crashes, I think some might reconsider.

ABS and VSC on Automobiles

I’m sure folks argued against mandatory ABS and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) for automobiles and light trucks too. But Congress found a way to pass that legislation over a decade ago.

I’m not a big fan of government regulations, but if ABS is good for automobiles (which it is), why isn’t it good for motorcycles? I would argue that ABS is even more beneficial for things with two wheels.

It’s time to extend the same courtesy to motorcycle owners—even if some riders don’t understand why they need it.

Examples of Real Avoidable Crashes

To get a feel for lowside and highside crashes, I’ve included five examples of real crashes captured on video.

In each of the crashes below, the motorcycle didn’t have ABS or ESC. How do I know? Because all the crashes below were triggered by a skidding or spinning rear tire. ABS and ESC would have made both triggers virtually impossible. ABS would have prevented a skidding rear tire, and ESC would have prevented a spinning rear tire.

Note: Nearly all of the single-vehicle lowside and highside motorcycle crashes on YouTube could have been prevented with ABS and ESC. This is why using shorter stopping distances as the only benefit of ABS misses the mark. The main benefits of ABS and ESC are that they prevent lowside and highside crashes triggered by a skidding rear tire (due to over-braking) or spinning rear tire (due to over-accelerating). ABS keeps you from skidding your tires. ESC keeps you from spinning your rear tire.

Here’s something to ponder. If Congress had mandated ABS and ESC years ago, none of the riders below would have crashed.

Real Lowside and Highside Crashes

I’ve watched hundreds (maybe thousands) of videos on YouTube showing riders lowside and highside crashing alone. In the videos below, none of the riders were badly hurt.

Note: Keep watching past the initial crash scene. Ken shows each one in slow motion part-way through each video. Those are really interesting.

Avoidable Crash: Illustration One

In the video below, the rider triggered a highside crash because he spun his rear tire, accelerating out of the curve.