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CPSC schedules hearings on ATVs and safety

The federal Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) — the agency that banned three-wheeled all-terrain vehicles in the 1980s — will hold a new series of public hearings on ATV safety beginning in June, the All-Terrain Vehicle Association reports.
The CPSC will hold its first public hearing June 5 in Morgantown, W.Va.
The commission says it is “concerned about the dramatic increase in ATV-related injuries and the continued increase in ATV-related deaths, and believes that holding a hearing will provide an opportunity for the interested public to share their concerns about ATVs and ATV safety.”
The commission will take testimony on issues ranging from the availability of safety training to whether there should be “performance standards” set for ATVs. The commission notes that there has been an increase in the number of injuries to riders using ATVs with engine sizes of 400cc and greater.
The commission also will take testimony on a proposal by a coalition of groups made up of the Consumer Federation of America, the Natural Trails and Waters Coalition, the Bluewater Network and others seeking a ban on the sale of adult-sized ATVs sold for use by children under 16. The coalition originally called for a ban on all ATV use by those under the age of 16 but the CPSC said that it could not enforce such a ban.
ATVA Director Doug Morris noted that under an agreement between the ATV industry and the federal agency, only the smallest ATVs — those with engines displacing 90cc or less — have been sold for use by riders in that age group.
To testify before the Consumer Product Safety Commission in West Virginia, contact Rockelle Hammond, Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C., 20207. Tel: 301/504-6833. Fax: 301/504-0127. E-mail: rhammond@cpsc.gov.
You can also send written testimony until July 5 to Attn: ATV Hearing, Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C., 20207.

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