India is a country known for many things. Strict rules and regulations with respect to motor vehicles is not one of them. We do need to take a leaf out of the book of other nations such as Thailand and Indonesia where ABS (anti-lock braking system) has been mandatory for two-wheelers above a certain displacement for quite some time now. But thankfully, the concerned authorities have taken notice and have started the overhauling process.
In March, the Ministry of Road Transport and highways, issued a notification which says that from April 2018, all two-wheelers which have a displacement of more than 125cc will need to have Anti-lock Braking system. Not as an option, but a mandatory fitment. The government draft that pertaining to the announcement says that all new vehicles models which will be in the market belonging to the L2 category and with an engine capacity of equal to or more than 125cc, with maximum power equal to or more than 11kW/16.09 bhp and a power-to-weight ratio equal to or more than 0.1kW/kg (0.134 bhp) manufactured on or after April 1, 2018 will be fitted with ABS or CBS (combined braking system) conforming to IS:14664:2010.
For two-wheelers with a capacity less than 125cc, manufacturers can either fit the vehicles with ABS or CBS in order to conform to the standards set by the mandate.
This definitely stands out as a ruling which marks a change for good, in the laws and regulations for vehicle safety. Such rulings are much required in a country like India where more than a million deaths occur each year on the road. Two-wheeler related accidents for a massive 26 per cent. In sheer numbers, it goes above 36,000 deaths a year (2012). The data comes from a report filed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. With ABS being a mandatory fitment, global components manufacturer Bosch suggests that every third road accident involving a two -wheeler can be avoided. Also, the speed at which a collision takes place can be reduced significantly.
