CPSC Announces ANPR for Recreational Off-Highway Vehicles (ROVs) to Address Rising Death Toll

WASHINGTON, Oct. 22, 2009 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Furthering its commitment to improve the safety of Recreational Off-Highway Vehicles (ROVs) and reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries nationwide, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission voted to publish an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) to address safety hazards associated with vehicle ROVs.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030904/USCSCLOGO)

CPSC staff's preliminary evaluations indicated that the vehicles may exhibit inadequate lateral stability, undesirable steering characteristics, and inadequate occupant protection during a rollover crash. The staff reviewed the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association (ROHVA) draft proposed American National Standard for Recreational Off-Highway Vehicles, ANSI/ROHVA 1-200X and found preliminarily that it does not adequately address the deaths and injuries associated with ROV rollovers and collisions.

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.

A statement on this vote by Chairman Inez Tenenbaum is in portable document format (PDF).

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. 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 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. To join a CPSC e-mail subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain recall and general safety information by logging on to CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.

CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772

CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030904/USCSCLOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com