More so than drivers, motorcyclists have a reputation as being slow to embrace new technology in the name of safety. This reputation is unfairly deserved. After all, motorcyclists are heavily dependent on motorcycle manufacturers who decide what safety features to include and what features not to include on their models.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the rate of fatal motorcycle accidents has been on a steady increase in Ohio and across the country. NHTSA statistics show that fatality rates rose in 11 of the past 12 years across the nation. With those statistics and the desire to increase motorcycle safety in mind, federal safety regulators have begun to lean on motorcycle manufacturers to install new safety features on their models.

Last year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released a study that indicated that motorcycles equipped with antilock brakes were 37 percent less likely to be involved in a fatal accident. Antilock braking systems use electronic sensors to detect when a motorcycle's wheels are going to lock up and prevent the lock up by automatically applying and releasing brake pressure to keep the wheels moving.

Preventing a wheel lock up is vitally important in an emergency situation. When a motorcycle's wheels lock up, it is extremely difficult for a rider to maintain control of the vehicle or remain upright.

The NHTSA is now launching a series of studies into motorcycle accidents and is evaluating whether antilock brakes can significantly reduce the rate of fatal motorcycle accidents. Depending on the results of the research, federal safety regulators may change the rules and make the installation of antilock brakes mandatory on all new motorcycles sold in the U.S.

Source: Wall Street Journal, "Antilock Brakes Aren't Just for Four Wheels," Joseph B. White, 6/29/2011