The use of ABS on motorcycles, has reduced the number of motorcycle crashes and, consequently, also the number of road deaths and serious road injuries among motorcyclists [39] [40]. ABS stands for Anti-Lock Braking System, a system that prevents the wheels from locking in case of heavy braking. When a vehicle with two wheels brakes and the front wheel locks up, the stabilising gyroscopic effect of the turning wheel disappears and the motorcyclist runs the risk of falling or skidding [41].
In Europe the effectiveness of ABS on motorcycles has been measured by, among others, Rizzi et al. [39]. They established a reduction in serious and fatal crashes by 34% in Italy and 43% in Spain and Sweden. In 2008, there were 22% fewer damage claims per motorcycle with ABS in the United States, and motorcycles with ABS had 37% fewer fatal crashes per 10,000 vehicle years, compared with the same types of motorcycle without ABS [40].
The disadvantage of this type of comparison studies is that it cannot fully correct for the fact that certain motorcyclists will choose ABS when they purchase a (new) motorcycle, whereas others will not. It could therefore be the already safe motorcyclists who choose ABS. The US study of Basch, Moore & Hellinga [42], however, indicates that it is not necessarily the safer motorcyclists who opt for a motorcycle with ABS. The study found no difference between the motorcyclists with and without ABS in the number of insurance claims that they annually made for their car.