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• A New Technology Could Decrease the Number of New York Motorcycle Accidents
• 6 Tips to Avoid New York & New Jersey Car Accidents

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A New Technology Could Decrease the Number of New York Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle technology has been increasing with leaps and bounds over the past 30 years and even though the general principal of two wheels, a motor, handle bars, seat, and brakes is essentially the same, the bikes coming out today are engineering marvels. With the great advances in motorcycle technology also come increased safety for the rider. Inherent in a motorcycle’s design is a level of risk, because unlike a car the rider is not protected by a cage of steel and airbags. The next best thing to being protected in an accident is to have the ability to avoid one all together.

Motorcycle brake technology has remained relatively the same ever since the motorcycle industry started a transition from drum styled brakes in the mid-sixties to a disk braking system. The drum brake was meeting its end because it was actuated by a cable and lever system that relied on the strength of the operator’s hand to apply the braking force. When the disk brake was introduced it utilized a hydraulic system that multiplied the force exerted by the hand, in turn giving a more positive braking experience.

Now the latest and greatest advance in motorcycle braking technology is actually one that was first proven in cars, but initially thought to be too complicated and bulky to adapt to motorcycles. Anti-lock brakes are a computer assisted braking system that uses millions of computations a minute to help apply and release brake pressure, so that the wheel will not lock up but still use the most braking force possible.

A human does not have the mental capacity to manually apply and release the brake at the same speed as an anti-lock brake system, so stopping distance will be decreased. This allows more leeway in reaction time to an accident and gives the rider more time to make an avoidance maneuver.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that riders who had an anti-lock braking system on their bikes were 37 percent less likely to be in a fatal accident than those without anti-lock brakes. Motorcycles’ with anti-lock brakes also have a 22 percent lower damage claims rate than motorcycles that do not. This speaks to the notion that those with anti-lock brakes are afforded more time to stop or avoid and accident.

If you have been injured in a New York motorcycle accident, call a Staten Island motorcycle accident lawyer at the law firm of Decker, Decker, Dito & Internicola at 1-800-976-4904. We will advise you on your rights and ability to pursue compensation.