The Ministry of Transportation and Communications yesterday clarified that only motorcycles manufactured from next year need to be equipped with anti-lock braking systems (ABS) or combined braking systems (CBS).
Media reports have confused the public into thinking that all motorcycles sold from next year have to be equipped with ABS or CBS, Acting Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kwo-tsai (王國材) told a news conference.
“Only about 15 percent of the new motorcycles sold on the market next year will be equipped with ABS or CBS... People are free to choose the motorcycles they want to buy based on their personal needs and are not required to buy motorcycles with ABS or CBS,” he added.
Motorcycles equipped with ABS and CBS are expected to cost an additional NT$8,000 and NT$1,500 respectively, Wang said.
The ministry and motorcycle manufacturers are discussing ways to ease the financial burden caused by the price increase, he said.
The ABS or CBS requirements were first proposed by the European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan in its 2014 position papers, Wang said, adding that the ministry, motorcycle manufacturers and industry associations had reached a consensus on this issue following multiple rounds of discussions.
On May 15, 2015, the ministry announced new vehicle safety inspection standards: motorcycles with an engine displacement of 126 cubic centimeters (cc) or larger that are produced from next year must be equipped with ABS, while 125cc or smaller bikes must be equipped with ABS or CBS, Wang said.
New motorcycles produced before next year will need to have ABS or CBS installed by 2021, depending on their size, the ministry said, adding that the new standards do not apply to motorcycles that are already in use.
Installing an ABS helps prevent incidents when a motorcyclist has to make emergency stops, such as the bike fishtailing, overturning or sliding, and is effective in reducing the braking distance, Wang said.
The EU and Japan have found that ABS helped decrease casualties in motorcycle-related accidents by 30 percent, he said.
Last year, 1,608 people were killed in motorcycle-related traffic accidents in Taiwan, he said.
That followed 1,804 lives lost in similar accidents in 2016, he said.
These statistics showed that about 60 percent of traffic accidents nationwide involved motorcycle riders, he said.
“This is no longer a traffic problem. It has become a social problem. The ministry thus found it necessary to bolster the safety requirements for motor vehicles as part of the efforts to address the increase in motorcycle-related casualties,” he said.
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