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ATV – SAE International Creates OHV I.D. System

SAE International, Warrendale, Penn., has established a new product identification number system for off-highway recreation vehicles.
The PIN system, which became effective this month, provides manufacturers of off-road recreation vehicles with a standardized procedure for assigning a 17-digit identification code. Decoding information for the new PIN system, which is similar to the vehicle identification number system, also is available through SAE International.
SAE says creation of the PIN system was necessary because the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regulates “motor vehicles” which are defined as “vehicle(s) driven on public streets, roads and highways.” This definition puts off-road recreational vehicles outside NHTSA jurisdiction. Prior to this 2003 clarification, however, selected off-road recreational vehicles were assigned VINs.
Through a contract with NHTSA, SAE assigns a portion of the VIN, specifically called the World Manufacturers Identifier, and will do likewise for the PIN system. The VIN system has been in place since 1981.
Many states, in addition to insurance and financial institutions, require identification numbers for off-road recreational vehicles.
SAE International celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2005. The society that sets the specs for everything from fluids to structural standards was founded in Manhattan in 1905, when a need for patent protection, common technical design problems, and the development of engineering standards was quickly emerging and many engineers in the automobile business expressed a desire to have “free exchange of ideas” in order to expand their individual technical knowledge base.
Today, the Society of Automotive Engineers has more than 84,000 members — engineers, business executives, educators, and students from more than 97 countries — who share information and exchange ideas for advancing the engineering of mobility systems. SAE is a one-stop resource for standards development, technical information and the expertise used in designing, building, maintaining, and operating self-propelled vehicles for use on land or sea, in air or space.
SAE keeps the mobility community informed on the latest developments in the field through its globally recognized magazines: Automotive Engineering International, Aerospace Engineering, and Off-Highway Engineering. For additional information, visit www.sae.org.

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