Back in 2010, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) decided that antilock braking systems (ABS) didn’t need to be standard on motorcycles. This news was met with skepticism by some safety experts, but the decision has stood for the past six years. Now, a new organization wants to restart the conversation on ABS, but will lawmakers listen?

Could Antilock Brakes Improve Motorcycle Safety?

Fergus Nolan is an advocate for motorcycle safety who lives in Memphis, Tennessee. He has contributed to motorcycle safety websites and he claims to be an inventor and “victualler”… Yeah, we don’t know what that means either, but we do know that this man is passionate about motorcycle safety. So, he has started the Motorcycle Action Network (MAN)—a nonprofit organization focused on making the roads safer for everyone.

So, what’s this new organization going to do to make the streets safer? Go after NHTSA, of course. MAN accuses NHTSA of kowtowing to motorcycle industry giants like Harley-Davidson. Nolan himself claims that this is the reason why NHTSA decided in 2010 that ABS should not be standard on motorcycles. He claims that motorcycle companies wished to keep charging a premium for ABS as an option, so they lobbied against standardization.

Nolan also points out that studies formerly commissioned by NHTSA proved that ABS helps save lives. He even claims that ABS could save 1,500 lives a year. However, he also recognizes that he needs help and has asked for other safety organizations to help the cause. Could he be right? Will other motorcycle organizations heed his plea for help? Hit our Facebook and Twitter to tell us what you think about this safety campaign. You can also keep following our motorcycling attorneys on this blog.