DON’T buy scooters/motorcycles without ABS/CBS after April 1st: RTO to start checking!

RTO officials in Pune have announced that buyers of scooters and motorcycles beyond the 1st of April will have to  ensure that it’s fitted with CBS/ABS as applicable. CBS stands for combi-braking system, a safety feature that is  mandatory for all two wheelers sold in India with engine capacity less than 125cc. For two wheelers with engines  displacing more than 125cc, the ABS (anti-lock braking system) feature is mandatory. The government of India has made these safety features mandatory on all two wheelers sold in India from the 1st of April.

Here’s what an official at the Pune RTO had to say about the checks that are all set to begin,

The system (mandating ABS and CBS) is already present in the new models of two-wheelers. However, the dealers also sell old model vehicles, which don’t have the system. From April 1, it will be mandatory for the manufacturers to  ensure that these old but unsold vehicles also have the system. There are many people who are interested in buying  unsold old edition two-wheelers from dealers. The dealers will have to ensure that these two-wheelers have the system in place. Checks will be conducted to ensure compliance.

So, if you’re buying a motorcycle or scooter after the 1st of April, make sure that either CBS/ABS is present in it.  This will ensure that the RTO does not act against you during the registration of the vehicle, which is when non-CBS  and non-ABS vehicles will be barred. While the drive has been announced in Pune, RTO officials in other places across  India may also start acting against new vehicles that don’t have the mandatory ABS/CBS feature fitted.

To give you an idea on what these life savig safety features are, we’ll first begin by describing CBS. CBS works by  depressing both the front and rear brakes of a two wheeler even when either of the brake (front or rear) is  depressed. This ensures that braking happens on both wheels, shortening stopping distances and also reducing the  possibility of skidding. This is safety system built to a tight cost, and is not as effective as ABS.

Here’s a video that shows how ABS works!

ABS, on the other hand, is a more complex and highly effective safety system. ABS has three main components: sensors on the wheels, an electronic control unit (ECU), a hydraulic motor and pressure release valves. When the sensors detect that the wheels of a vehicle have locked during hard/emergency braking, the ECU makes sure that some amount of braking pressure is released to make sure that the wheels get back in motion. This prevents a skid, and allows the motorcycle/scooter to be steered, thus allowing the rider to avoid the obstacle. Also, since the skid is eliminated, the chances of the rider losing balance and falling due to a skid is eliminated. ABS works beautifully on slippery roads also, preventing skids.

Skidding is one of the biggest causes of two wheeler riders losing balance and falling off the scooter/motorcycle.  Such accidents claim a lot of lives each year. ABS is a feature that ensures that skidding is eliminated, making  riding a scooter/motorcycle a lot more safer. This is why it’s known as a life saving safety feature.

Via ETAuto