Specialty Vehicle Institute of America says ATV safety figures not as bad as opponents claim
Mar. 8, 2004 – Anti-ATV forces are quick to call for rollbars, seat belts and other so-called safety measures for ATVs, citing rising death numbers.
But a new report done by the federal Consumer Protection Safety Commission, which has been holding hearings on ATV safety recently, shows that the numbers aren't as bad as ATV opponents suggest.
The Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, an information source about the ATV industry, has done an excellent analysis of the report, showing that there was a:
- 5 percent decline in the ATV injury rate from 2001 to 2002.
- 31 percent decline in the ATV injury rate from 1988 to 2002.
- 14 percent decline in the fatality rate for the period of 1999 to 2001, and,
- 15 percent decline since 1997 in the proportion of total ATV-related injuries that involve children under 16.
According to the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, the Consumer Product Safety Commission report states that its latest findings are based on "New risk estimates (for injuries and deaths) that make use of improved estimates of the numbers of ATVs in use." The federal agency prefaced its report, the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America said, with the observation that, "This year we made several changes to the report to bring it more in line with the current ATV market and to aid in its readability."
"The CPSC reports speaks for itself," said Tim Buche, president of the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America. "The decline in injury and fatality rates show that the industry's focus on ATV safety programs is working, but that more cooperation is needed to help pass appropriate state ATV safety legislation to further reduce ATV-related injuries."
The Specialty Vehicle Institute of America says that more than 15 million Americans ride ATVs, and that ATVs have become an essential tool for ranchers, law enforcement, the armed forces and others.
Sales of ATVs have increased steadily in the United States since 1991. The Specialty Vehicle Institute of America notes that sales figures for 2002 were 5.6 percent over those of 2001.
Even with this increasing popularity, the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America says, the Consumer Product Safety Commission's data shows that the number of injuries is growing at a lesser rate in proportion to the ATV population itself.
For example, Buche notes that the ATV injury rate actually declined 5 percent from 2001 to 2002, while the ATV industry saw more than a 5 percent growth in sales during that same time.
Buche characterized recent statements by a coalition of anti-access and consumer groups on the report as incomplete and misleading.
"Raw numbers don't tell the whole story," Buche says, "especially when key data is omitted because it doesn't fit a particular organization's agenda. The safety of our customers is of paramount importance to the ATV industry, and as far as we're concerned, even one injury is one injury too many.
"Rather than attempt to mislead the public with inflammatory and inaccurate claims, we urge consumer groups to focus on promoting rider safety through appropriate state ATV safety legislation, rider education programs, and parental supervision."
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission held another hearing on ATV safety. This time, it was in New Mexico. Before, meetings were held in West Virginia and Alaska.
The last time the commission held hearings on ATV safety, back in the mid-1980s, three-wheelers were banned.