The Ministry of Transportation, with the support and technical work of the National Road Safety Agency (ANSV), adopted the first technical regulation that requires new motorcycles that are marketed or assembled in the country to be equipped with braking systems certified by the United Nations (UN) or approved by the United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS).
(Prices and requirements for changing vehicle plates in Bogotá).
“This technical regulation will be a milestone in Colombia and in the region, given the technological advance that this regulation represents in the safety of both motorcyclists and other road actors in the country. From the Ministry of Transport, with the support of our affiliated entities, we will continue to work decisively, through dialogue and agreement, to create conditions that reduce road accidents and protect the lives of all citizens”, explained the Minister of Transport, Guillermo Francisco Reyes González.
This technical regulation also seeks that new motorcycles that arrive in the country or are assembled are equipped with CBS (combined braking system) or ABS (anti-lock braking system) brake systems, depending on the cylinder capacity or power of the vehicle.
ABS anti-lock braking system prevents one or both wheels from locking up and skiddingwhich could cause the loss of control of the vehicle or the motorcyclist to fall.
(Mintransporte leaves to applause from meeting with motorcyclists).
This system works by measuring the speed of rotation of each wheel, the pressure exerted on each of the brakes and even the inclination of the motorcycle. So you can predict when a wheel is going to lock and modulate braking to maintain traction with the ground and stability.
Meanwhile, the CBS combined braking system distributes the braking force to both wheels, even if only one of the brakes is used. That is, when the motorcycle brakes suddenly, some of the wheels may lose grip with the ground. This system prevents the transfer of excessive weight to a single wheel by distributing the braking force to each of the tires.
“Both systems reduce the braking distance in low grip conditions, which means that it can reduce the risk of collision with other road actors or fixed objects and allows the motorcyclist to react and take evasive measures, which has been one of the concerns we have had. With respect to the motorcyclist who so far in 2022 is the road actor that represents more than half of the total fatalities on the roads, they are one of the three most vulnerable users on the road and we understand their needs and that in a high percentage they are the providers of their homes” pointed out the director of the National Road Safety Agency, Luis Lota.
(In July the country reached 485,524 new motorcycles sold).
The application of this regulation will have a transition period, in such a way that, as of October 2025, all new 2 or 3-wheel vehicles must comply with the technical requirements regarding the safe performance of their braking systems.
That is, they must have passed the tests defined in the standard. Regarding the equipment of advanced braking systems, as of October 2025, motorcycles with cylinder capacity greater than 50 cm3 (or nominal power greater than 4 Kw) must incorporate CBS or ABS and motorcycles with cylinder capacity greater than 150 cm3 (or nominal power greater than 11 Kw) must incorporate ABS.
As of March 2027, all motorcycles with a cylinder capacity of more than 125 cm3 must be equipped with an ABS system, and motorcycles with a cylinder capacity of less than 125 cm 3 with CBS or ABS.
Likewise, marketers must obtain, for the braking systems incorporated in motorcycles, the respective certificate of product conformity through which compliance with all technical requirements and tests is accredited.
BRIEFCASE