Federal standards revision process will likely linger well into new year – December 25, 2006

swadminDecember 25, 2006

A revamping of federal ATV regulations won’t come this year and probably won’t be handed down until well into 2007.
That’s the word from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which has proposed several changes to current voluntary ATV manufacturing safety standards.
With ATV-related deaths and injuries increasing, the CPSC proposed this summer to make a number of voluntary standards mandatory. Some of those proposals include:

shifting how youth ATVs are regulated. Instead of engine size and speed, the CPSC suggests regulating only by speed. Also, instead of two age categories, there would be three.

Formally banning three-wheel ATVs.

Proposing that a document be signed at the point of sale that says free training is available and is a reasonable distance away.

Signing another document at the point of sale that acknowledges the seriousness of children riding ATVs.
The public has until Dec. 26 to comment on the proposals. After Dec. 26, the CPSC staff will compile the comments, separate them into general categories and respond to them.
The staff also will hone the proposed rules and address multiple issues the two CPSC commissioners have brought forward before coming back to the commissioners with a final proposal. When that would happen isn’t known, but it’s not expected to happen until some time in 2007, CPSC Spokesman Scott Wolfson said.
A potential delay in the federal rulemaking is the naming of a third CPSC commissioner. The commission currently has two commissioners and needs a third to reach a quorum by Jan. 14. psb

swadminDecember 25, 2006