ETSC Position Paper – Mandating ABS on all Motorcycles

Motorcyclist deaths in the EU have declined more slowly over the past decade than those of other road user groups – by approximately 20%, compared with 45% for moped users and 33% for road users overall. Improvements to vehicle safety standards form part of the response to this gap.

Anti-lock braking systems (ABS) have been found to reduce motorcycle collision involvement by around 30%, with greater effects on more serious collisions and on wet roads. Under current EU law, however, ABS is mandatory only for medium-performance (L3e-A2) and high-performance (L3e-A3) motorcycles, and not for the low-performance (L3e-A1) subcategory. Regulation (EU) 168/2013 required the European Commission to report on the mandatory fitting of ABS to these motorcycles by the end of 2019 and to consider a legislative proposal. To date, neither the report nor a proposal has been published.

A supporting study commissioned by the Commission concluded that ABS should be made mandatory for all new motorcycles. It estimated the benefits of mandating ABS for low-performance motorcycles at €1.4 billion against an estimated cost of €60.7 million – a benefit-to-cost ratio of approximately 23, derived from the study’s most conservative scenario. The study found that preventing as few as 1,500 slight injuries over a decade would offset the full cost of the measure. India and Singapore have moved to mandate ABS on motorcycles, and ABS-equipped models are sold in markets with lower purchasing power at prices comparable to or below those of non-ABS low-performance motorcycles in Europe.

At the Motorcycle Working Group meeting in April 2026, the Commission indicated that a targeted revision of Regulation (EU) 168/2013 was unlikely, citing the requirement for an impact assessment and limited resources. ETSC notes that the Commission is six years beyond its legal deadline and has had the relevant cost-benefit evidence available throughout this period.

ETSC’s position: ETSC calls on the European Commission to bring forward a single legislative proposal addressing the changes to Regulation (EU) 168/2013 that it identifies as requiring little preparation – including the ABS mandate for L3e-A1 motorcycles. Bundling these short-term measures would justify the administrative resources required while ensuring that they are not delayed by the lengthier full review of the regulation.