Cpsc Vs. Atvs: Chronology of A Crisis

CPSC vs. ATVs: Chronology Of A Crisis

ROUNDUP

CAMRON E. BUSSARD

YOU SEE IT ON TV. YOU READ ABOUT IT IN NEWSPAPERS AND magazines. You hear about it in motorcycle shops. Altogether, there’s so much talk about it that keeping track of what’s really happening is almost impossible.

Unless you’ve been frozen in an iceberg for the past two years, you’re undoubtedly aware of the “it” we’re referring to: the full-scale war being waged between allterrain vehicles and an agency of the U.S. government. Firmly entrenched on one side is the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), which contends that ATVs are the most dangerous motorized vehicles ever sold to the public. On the other side are the ATV manufacturers, represented by the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America (SVIA) in this struggle.

The war is far from over, so we can’t yet report its outcome or ramifications; but many people have indicated that they don’t understand who the combatants are in this conflict or how the situation has gotten so far out of hand. So, for your perusal, we present this brief recap of the key events that have brought us to this point.

February, 1983: The SVIA is formed, funded by the ATV manufacturers. Its goal is “to foster and promote safe and responsible use of specialty vehicles manufactured or distributed in the United States.”

July, 1984: The CPSC first takes an interest in ATVs, responding to ever-increasing numbers of injuries and fatalities on threeand four-wheelers.

April, 1985: The CPSC forms an ATV task force, directed to: 1) carry out technical analyses of ATVs; 2) monitor ATV industry activities to address potential hazards; 3) conduct public hearings on ATVs; and 4) report back to the commission with its recommendations.

May, 1985: The ATV task force invites public comment. Almost 3000 responses are received, nearly all opposed to any sort of ban or recall of ATVs.

September, 1986: The ATV task force issues its report to the CPSC, recommending that the commission should:

1) request that the industry voluntarily cease marketing ATVs intended for use by children under the age of 12;

2) require warning labels on ATVs stating that the vehicles are not recommended for riders under the age of 16, and that “hands-on” training is necessary for the use of ATVs; 3) work with states to develop legislation that would reduce the number of alcohol-related ATV accidents; and 4) promote the development of a ridereducation campaign aimed at preventing ATV injuries caused by riding double and riding without helmets.

December 12, 1986: The CPSC holds a secret meeting, reportedly voting to pursue a recall of all three-wheel ATVs, and of four-wheel ATVs intended for riders under 16 years of age—a dictum that, if enforced, would spell utter disaster for some manufacturers. The CPSC asks the justice department to review the case.

December 18, 1986: The CPSC holds a public meeting in which the manufacturers are asked to voluntarily stop the production of all ATVs designed for riders under 12 years of age.

So far, the manufacturers of those small ATVs have declined to cease production of them; and the CPSC’s alleged recall proposal is still under review by the justice department. So the outcome of this drama is not yet known. Whatever happens, though, you can be sure of two things: One side or the other isn’t going to be happy; and the issue isn’t going to go away.