New Safety Rules in the Works for Recreational Off-Highway Vehicles
Prompted by continuing deaths and injuries linked to the use of off-road vehicles, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is planning new safety rules for the popular recreational vehicles.
The CPSC today voted to publish an advance notice of proposed rulemaking to address safety concerns with recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs), a product category that includes all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), four-wheelers, and other similar vehicles.
The Yamaha Rhino, Polaris Ranger, and other brands of all-terrain vehicles have been associated with hundreds of rider deaths and injuries. Most of the accidents have occurred in rollover accidents even when the vehicles are being driven slowly on level ground.
CPSC staffers have already reached a preliminary conclusion that the vehicles may exhibit “inadequate lateral stability, undesirable steering characteristics, and inadequate occupant protection during a rollover crash,” the agency said.
Existing Safety Rules Not Sufficient
The CPSC also said industry guidelines as well as current and planned regulations for the category of off-road vehicles do not “adequately address the deaths and injuries associated with ROV rollovers and collisions.”
“The need for federal rulemaking on ROVs is the consequence of not having a voluntary standard that effectively safeguards consumers,” said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. “I have reviewed numerous death and injury reports tied to ROVs and I believe CPSC can play a vital role in making them safer.”
Part of the process of drafting new safety rules for ROVs includes accepting public comments about the risks of injuries from the vehicles and how those risks should be addressed. Public comments on the issue will be accepted for the next 60 days, the CPSC said.
Public Comments Sought
The ANPR invites written comments from the public regarding the risks of injury associated with ROVs and ways in which these risks could be addressed. Following publication of the ANPR, the public will have 60 days to provide comments to the Commission. Comments can be submitted at www.regulations.gov.
In the meantime, users of ROVs should continue to operate the vehicles safely and in accordance with existing safety rules, Tenenbaum said.
“I urge all riders and passengers to strap on a helmet, use the seat belt, know the terrain, and never allow anyone under 16 to drive these vehicles,” she said.
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