All two-wheelers to come with ABS from next year

Anti-lock braking systems (ABS) will become mandatory for all two-wheelers sold in the country from January 1 as part of a proposed new safety regulation by the government. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is likely to issue a notification soon on the matter, said people aware of the matter.

The step is aimed at arresting high incidence of road accidents involving motorcycles and scooters. It will extend the current ABS mandate-applicable only to models above 150cc-to the entire two-wheeler segment, including entry-level variants which comprise about 75% of the domestic market.

ABS is designed to prevent wheel lock-up during sudden braking, reducing the likelihood of skidding and crashes. This is achieved by rapidly pushing the brakes, preventing the wheels from skidding and allowing the driver to steer around obstacles.

Two-wheelers were involved in nearly 20% of India's 151,997 road accidents in 2022, according to latest available government data.

"This is a long-needed measure," said Rohit Baluja, director at the Institute of Road Traffic and Education (IRTE), a non-profit organisation dedicated to road safety and traffic management. "Many pedestrian accidents are caused by abrupt braking without vehicle control."

While the safety benefits of ABS are widely acknowledged, the government mandate is expected to inflate production costs for manufacturers, which is likely to be passed on to consumers in the coming months. Analysts estimate prices for entry-level two-wheeler models to rise by '2,500 to '5,000 per vehicle, potentially dampening demand in a price-sensitive segment.

"Any regulation that adds cost tends to weigh on demand," said an analyst at a domestic brokerage. "This one is no different."

Motorcycle models with 75cc to 125cc engines accounted for two-thirds of domestic sales in FY25, according to brokerage Nomura. Sales rose 4.6% to 9.26 million motorcycles last fiscal. Scooter sales rose 17% to 6.85 million units in the same period.

"Two-wheelers account for 44% of road fatalities in India. Hence, improving their safety is a major priority and introduction of ABS for all two wheelers was much needed," said KK Kapila, president emeritus at International Road Federation, a global road safety body. He said the cost factor will not be much while stressing that safety is much more important.

"Two-wheelers are the lifeline of major cities in the country despite improvement in public transport and we have to live with them. The only way to reduce road accidents is to find ways and means to make them safe with use of technology," he said.