DieselBoy
06-05-2006, 09:54 PM
Safety experts advocate stringent rules for ATVs
The Associate Press
Washington – Three-wheeled all-terrain vehicles would be banned and four-wheelers intended for children wouldn’t go faster than 15 mph under rules being proposed by the Consumer Safety Protection Commission’s staff.
The recommendations would also require ATV manufactures to offer free training to buyers. “Limiting maximum speed is the most critical safety factor for youth ATV models”, The commission staff said last week in a report outlining a series of recommendations to reduce the death toll from the vehicles.
ATVs cause hundreds of deaths every year and tens of thousands of injuries.
The commission said at least 18 Americans died in ATV accidents during the Memorial Day holiday a week ago, Sever thousand people were injured.
The commission staff recommended:
1) For children 6 to 8, ATVs shouldn’t go faster than 10 mph.
2) For children 9 to 11, ATVs shouldn’t be able to go faster than 15 mph and should have a device, which parents could turn on or off, that would limit their speed to 10 mph.
3) For those 12 and older, ATVs should go faster than 30 mph and should have devices that could limit their speed to 15 mph.
Manufactures and distributors of ATVs should have to give people who buy an ATV a certificate entitling them and their immediate families to free training on the vehicle, the report said.
A patchwork of state regulations apply to ATVs, but there are no federal laws.
The staff recommendation will be presented June 15. Commissioners are expected to vote later on whether to accept or reject the proposals.
The Associate Press
Washington – Three-wheeled all-terrain vehicles would be banned and four-wheelers intended for children wouldn’t go faster than 15 mph under rules being proposed by the Consumer Safety Protection Commission’s staff.
The recommendations would also require ATV manufactures to offer free training to buyers. “Limiting maximum speed is the most critical safety factor for youth ATV models”, The commission staff said last week in a report outlining a series of recommendations to reduce the death toll from the vehicles.
ATVs cause hundreds of deaths every year and tens of thousands of injuries.
The commission said at least 18 Americans died in ATV accidents during the Memorial Day holiday a week ago, Sever thousand people were injured.
The commission staff recommended:
1) For children 6 to 8, ATVs shouldn’t go faster than 10 mph.
2) For children 9 to 11, ATVs shouldn’t be able to go faster than 15 mph and should have a device, which parents could turn on or off, that would limit their speed to 10 mph.
3) For those 12 and older, ATVs should go faster than 30 mph and should have devices that could limit their speed to 15 mph.
Manufactures and distributors of ATVs should have to give people who buy an ATV a certificate entitling them and their immediate families to free training on the vehicle, the report said.
A patchwork of state regulations apply to ATVs, but there are no federal laws.
The staff recommendation will be presented June 15. Commissioners are expected to vote later on whether to accept or reject the proposals.