Overspeeding? Hands-off riding? Your bike will warn you soon.

Just last month, the government mandated ABS for all two-wheelers and dealerships were asked to provide two Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)-certified helmets with each vehicle sale.

The associated testing criteria for these new features are likely to lead to a marginal increase in vehicle prices, which are already set to rise next year with the recently mandated ABS.

These measures aim to stem the rising number of road accident fatalities in the world’s largest two-wheeler market. "There are consultations going on with the industry about the features to be added to two-wheelers to increase safety. Some measures like helmet warnings and an alert system for hands-off driving are being discussed, along with speeding warning systems," said one of the persons cited above, who requested anonymity.

There were more than 170,000 Indian road accident fatalities in 2022, with a little over 45% of the victims being two-wheeler riders, according to the latest available Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

The data showed more than 446,000 road accidents had taken place in the country in 2022, and over 100,000 fatalities were reported due to over-speeding.

The second person aware of the development said that stakeholder consultations were going on regarding safety measures that could be enforced for two-wheeler riders, after the ABS mandate was announced. “The amendment toCMVR may be likely 1-2 months after these consultations have concluded," this person said without giving any timeline since the plan is still in an early stage.

An email query sent to the ministry of road transport and highways remained unanswered.

“Any additional testing or safety requirement is likely to lead to an increase in prices," said Ashim Sharma,senior partner and business unit head, Nomura Research Institute (NRI) Solutions and Consulting.

“In case a manufacturer has to add any new feature to their vehicles, they have to bear the cost of material and development. This is generally passed onto the consumer," Sharma added.

If implemented, the new norms would bring an additional cost burden for the buyer. The government's ABS mandate for two-wheelers, to be in force from 1 January 2026, can lead to a price increase of ₹3,000-5,000 per vehicle, according to an analyst note by Kotak Institutional Equities dated 20 June.

About 84% of India's two-wheeler market will undergo price increases in 2026, after the ABS mandate kicks in, the analyst note said. “About 76% of the motorcycle segment and about 100% of the scooter and moped segments will be affected," said Rishi Vora of Kotak Institutional Equities in the note.

Key Takeaways

• New safety rules for two-wheelers will include overspeed warnings and hands-off riding detection. These measures aim to drastically reduce India's high two-wheeler accident fatalities. New safety features will increase two-wheeler prices, adding to existing ABS mandate costs. Government is consulting industry stakeholders before finalizing Central Motor Vehicle Rules amendments. Over 45% of road accident deaths in India involve two-wheeler riders, highlighting safety need.