U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman to Hold ATV Meeting In Albuquerque, New Mexico
WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2003 -- U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Hal Stratton will conduct a regional public field meeting on All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) safety in Albuquerque, New Mexico, on November 6, 2003.
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"We want to hear from New Mexicans and other stakeholders in Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah, and Colorado about how they use their ATVs. We want to get their perspective on ATV safety issues," said Stratton.
The Commission is aware of 40 ATV-related deaths in New Mexico; 106 deaths in Arizona; 59 deaths in Oklahoma; 206 deaths in Texas; 80 deaths in Utah; and 44 deaths in Colorado between 1982 and 2001. Nationally, the Commission has reports of 4,541 people who died on ATVs during that period. The death rate in recent years has climbed, with Commission staff estimating 547 deaths associated with the use of ATVs in 2000 alone.
ATV injuries requiring an emergency room visit have more than doubled in recent years -- from an estimated 54,700 in 1997 to 111,700 in 2001. In this same period, the estimated number of ATV drivers increased 36 percent, driving hours grew 50 percent and the number of ATVs increased 40 percent, according to a recent Commission staff analysis. About a third of the victims injured in 2001 were under 16 years old.
ATVs have widespread popularity among all age groups, and the use of these vehicles includes industrial and agribusiness applications. While popularity and sales of ATVs have increased in recent years, CPSC staff's risk analysis finds that this increase in exposure to ATVs only partially accounts for the increase in injuries.
"We are concerned about the disproportionate increase in the numbers of deaths and injuries associated with ATV use in recent years, and we hope this meeting will help us better understand why death and injury rates are up," Stratton said.
The full Commission held a similar meeting in June at Morgantown, W.V., where more than 30 people representing riders, dealers, training organizations, the medical community, law enforcement officers, family members of victims of ATV-related incidents and others presented their viewpoints. Chairman Stratton held follow-up meetings in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and other Alaska communities to hear from ATV users there. The New Mexico meeting is another opportunity for people to present to CPSC their views of ATV safety.
"We were extremely pleased with the response at the West Virginia and Alaska meetings. As we had hoped, the presenters provided us a local perspective on this issue that would have been nearly impossible to achieve if we had limited our meetings to Washington D.C. Given the unique uses and the importance of ATVs in some parts of the country, we want to make sure that we get the Southwest perspective on ATV use. We'd like to hear from as many residents of the Southwest states as possible on this issue," Stratton said.
CPSC seeks comments on:
1. Information about current local and state ATV regulations
2. Current ATV use in recreation, industry, and agriculture
3. User perspectives on minimum riding and purchasing age requirements,
availability of training, effectiveness of labeling, and future
government action
4. Current industry safety efforts and training programs
5. ATV manufacturers' and dealers' perspectives on training, labeling, and
purchasing patterns
6. The influence of ATV engine size, rider age, or the "used" sales market
on injuries and deaths
7. Whether there should be changes in the performance standard for ATVs
The Consumer Federation of America and other groups petitioned the Commission in September 2002 to ban adult-size, four-wheel ATVs sold for the use of children under the age of 16. The Commission sought written public comments on the petition from October 2002 through March 16, 2003. The New Mexico meeting will provide an additional opportunity for the public to express its views about this petition, and about ATV use and safety.
Requests to make oral presentations at the chairman's meeting may be made to Lizzy Gary by phone at (301) 504-7884, by e-mail at egary@cpsc.gov, or by fax at (301) 504-0768.
Requests to testify received before October 31, 2003 will be given first priority. Presenters are asked to provide the text of their presentation by November 3. Persons with PowerPoint presentations should also provide an advance copy.
The meeting will be held on November 6, 2003, beginning at 9 am (Mountain Time) at Smith Brasher Hall, located at 717 University Blvd, SW (on the corner of University Boulevard and Coal Avenue), in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than 15,000 types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. Deaths, injuries and property damage from consumer product incidents cost the nation more than $700 billion annually. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products -- such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals -- contributed significantly to the 30 percent decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
To report a dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270 or visit CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html. Consumers can obtain this release and recall information at CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.
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