MAKING MOTORCYCLING SAFER
I
n September 2019, the Government made
changes to the Land Transport Rule: Light-
vehicle Brakes 2002, making it mandatory for
all new model new motorcycles over 125cc to have
ABS, and all new model new motorcycles up to and
including 125cc to have either ABS or a Combined
Braking System (CBS) from 1 April 2020. According
to the press release, motorcyclists are 21 times
more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a crash
than other vehicle users. In 2017, motorcyclists
made up less than four percent of vehicle users
yet accounted for 12 percent of all deaths and 10
percent of all reported injuries on the road. In a
safe road system where no one should be killed
or seriously injured in a crash, Waka Kotahi NZ
Transport Agency says it is focused on making
motorcycling safer. Motorcycles are, by nature, less
stable than four-wheeled vehicles. Unlike cars, which
have safety features to protect their occupants
such as crumple zones and air bags, motorcycles
lack the protection and stability to protect their
riders in the event of a crash. This lack of protection
and stability is the key reason why motorcyclists
account for a disproportionate number of those
killed and injured on our roads. Braking too hard
can destabilise a motorcycle and lead to the front
or rear wheel locking, causing the bike to overturn
or slide. Alternatively, failure to brake hard enough
can result in a motorcyclist failing to avoid a crash.
“We want all road users to be safe on our roads
and international studies suggest ABS could reduce
motorcycle crashes by more than a third,” says Davey
Uprichard, Vehicle Standards Manager Regulatory
Services, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. ABS
works to prevent a motorcycle’s wheel, or wheels,
from locking during braking. It uses speed sensors
on both wheels to determine wheel speed, as well
as sensors to determine when a wheel is about to
lock. ABS adjusts the braking pressure accordingly
to prevent the wheel from locking and assists
with maintaining the stability of the motorcycle.
The second change comes into effect on November
1, 2021 making it mandatory for all current model
new motorcycles and imported used motorcycles
over 125cc to have ABS, and all current model new
motorcycles and imported used motorcycles up
to and including 125cc to have either ABS or CBS.
Previous and currently registered motorcycles are
not required to be retrofitted with ABS. Trial or
enduro motorcycles used primarily off-road or at
events are exempt and there are some exemptions
for classic or collectable motorcycles. While
motorcycling is definitely a riskier form of transport
than many, we don’t want to deter people from
riding, we want to support motorcyclists by helping
them reduce their risk and maximise the enjoyment
they get from riding. “Motorcycling puts a little
adventure into every day. It gets under your skin.
The more in tune you become to the subtleties and
the physics of the geometry of riding motorcycles,
the more it gives back. The more you understand it
the more rewarding it is,” says Greg, Respect Every
Ride campaigner. Since January 2020, the Transport
Agency has been running a Respect Every Ride
campaign which focuses on treating every ride as
a new ride and respecting the ride and road. The
campaign reminds riders not to become complacent
on familiar roads and to always be on. “My dad
always taught me that you gotta ride like everyone is
out to get you. I’ll be learning to ride a bike for as long
as I live. Ride for your whole life, not a short amount
of time,” says Byron, Respect Every Ride campaigner.
For more information about the rule changes
visit www.nzta.govt.nz/abs-changes.
For more information about the Respect
Every Ride campaign visit www.nzta.govt.
nz/safety/driving-safely/motorcycling/
motorcycling-advertising/respect-every-ride/
KIWI RIDER 19