Updated July 13, 2006

Federal safety panel sides with All-Terrain Vehicle Association on proper ATV sizes for children

The federal Consumer Product Safety Commission has rejected a request by anti-ATV groups to ban the sale of full-size ATVs for use by children under 16.

On July 12, the three-member commission formally rejected a petition for the ban filed by the Consumer Federation of America and other groups. The All-Terrain Vehicle Association, had opposed the position.

The commission also voted to accept proposals from its staff on new safety rules for ATVs. Those proposed rules will now go out for public comment.

Both decisions by the safety panel are major victories for the ATVA in efforts to convince federal safety experts that young riders should be allowed to ride ATVs that are the proper size for the child's body size.

In testimony to the commission over the past several years, the ATVA argued that current CPSC age guidelines limiting children under 16 to small ATVs prevented or discouraged youths from getting ATV-riding training.

That's because free training is offered by manufacturers to buyers of new ATVs, but only for family members who are of the "proper" age for the purchased ATV. In other words, if you buy a 300cc ATV, only those 16 and older are eligible for training. A child could be 5-foot-10, 180 pounds and be just weeks shy of 16 years old, but couldn't take the free training because children under 16 are limited to ATVs with engine displacements of 90cc or less.

In late May, the CPSC staff made recommendations to the full board to improve ATV safety nationwide, which are the proposed rules the panel accepted, including rewriting the restrictive age guidelines "so that children under the age of 16 can ride and be trained on ATVs which are more likely to fit them physically and which conform to their developmental capabilities."

The staff report notes that formal training may reduce an ATV rider's risk of injury by half.

"This is great news," said ATVA Director Doug Morris. "The recommendation to the CPSC board by its ATV Safety Review team validates what we've been saying all along: that the guidelines must be changed so that as many kids as possible can get ATV safety training. And that will go a long way to reduce youth injuries."

Besides suggesting changes in the CPSC's age guidelines, the staff recommends that all ATV buyers be given free safety training and information, and that smaller machines for use by riders under 16 should have automatic transmissions and speed limiters. ATVs for children ages 6 to 11 would have speed limits of 10 mph, while machines for children 12 to 15 would be limited to 15 mph.

The staff also recommends that ATVs sold in the United States should conform to uniform mechanical requirements for such things as brakes, suspension, controls and lighting.

© 2006, All Terrain Vehicle Association