On Thursday, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways took a bold step by announcing that, starting January 1, 2026, every new motorcycle or scooter sold in India will have to roll out with an Anti-lock Braking System. The same directive tells dealerships to hand over two BIS-certified helmets, one for the rider and one for the pillion, at the moment of purchase.
For years, the safety net has been a narrow one: ABS was only compulsory on machines over 125cc, a rule that left the bulk of the scooter and commuter market untouched. Smaller bikes account for about 78 per cent of sales and almost half of the crash toll, with government figures showing two-wheelers caused 44.5 per cent of all road accidents in 2022.
Anti-lock brakes stop the wheels from locking during a panic squeeze, so the rider stays upright and in control. Research cites a drop in overall crash risk by 35 to 45 per cent when the system is on board. Adding the helmet clause doubles protection for the pillion rider and is intended to curb the alarming number of head injuries; most studies agree that requiring a second helmet on the spot increases the odds that a passenger will wear one.
Safety groups are celebrating the recent announcement, yet most people familiar with the motorcycle market warn that the sticker price on base scooters could rise by anywhere between 2,000 and 10,000 rupees. That increase will cover the anti-lock brakes and the pair of certified helmets that the rulebook now asks for. Industry insiders expect to see a set of technical instructions arrive on manufacturers’ desks very soon, outlining exactly how to wire and fit the new hardware.
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways spokespeople emphasise that the upgrades are not isolated fixes but cornerstones of a larger campaign to reduce deaths and injuries on Indian roads. Once the official notification appears within a handful of months, gatekeepers and dealers will have breathing space to reboot their inventories before enforcement begins.
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