The Government of India wants to make the Indian roads safer. The road transport ministry has issued a draft that reveals the dates to make anti-lock braking system (ABS) and combined braking system (CBS) mandatory on all two-wheelers old in India.
About 10 months ago, we reported the government’s plan to make ABS mandatory on majority of the two-wheelers in India. And now with the dates in hand, we think the authorities are serious about making the Indian roads safer. As per the draft, all two wheelers having a displacement of more than 125cc should be equipped with ABS. While the deadline for all new models is April 2017, the existing models must comply with the norm from April 2018.
ABS improves the overall braking of a two-wheeler. This technology doesn’t lock up the wheel in case of heavy or panic braking, keeping the rider safe from accident. On the other hand, CBS is linked to the front and rear brakes on scooters and motorcycles. When the rider applies one of the brakes, both the brakes are operated.
In India, two-wheelers are more vulnerable to accidents. Last year 32,524 people lost their lives involving these vehicles and over 1.27 lakh persons were left injured.
We appreciate government’s effort on bringing such safety technologies to mass market two-wheelers. However, we would be glad if it also focuses more on making helmet mandatory across the country.
