All-Terrain Vehicles (Last Updated 2/12/2008)
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission staff is participating in voluntary standard activities related to all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). In 1990, the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America (SVIA) published a voluntary standard for Four Wheel All-Terrain Vehicles – Equipment, Configuration, and Performance Requirements, ANSI/SVIA 1-1990. This voluntary standard was revised and published in 2001 and again in 2007 (ANSI/SVIA 1-2007 American National Standard for Four Wheel All-Terrain Vehicles). The 2007 revision builds on prior versions of the standard and continues to address design, configuration, and performance aspects of ATVs. New areas covered by the 2007 revisions include: definition and requirements for Type II (tandem) ATVs; requirements for labels, owner’s manuals, hang tags, and a compliance certification for all ATVs; and definitions and requirements for new categories of Type I (single-rider) ATVs (category “Y-10� and category “T�). The category Y-10 ATV is a youth model intended for use by children age 10 and older. The category “T� ATV is a transitional ATV intended for recreational use by an operator age 14 or older under adult supervision or by an operator age 16 and older.
In 2005, there were 467 deaths associated with ATVs reported to CPSC for that year. In addition, CPSC staff estimates that there were 136,700 emergency-department treated injuries associated with ATVs in 2005. Thirty percent of the injuries were to children younger than 16 years old. Hazard scenarios include: collisions with stationary objects (e.g., a tree or a fence), moving highway motor vehicles, and moving off-road vehicles; encountering rough, changing, or uneven grade with subsequent overturning of the ATV and/or ejection of the victim; overturning of the ATV on apparently level ground; and failure to turn or missing a turn in the roadway or trail, with subsequent collision, overturning of the ATV, and/or ejection of the victim.
In August 2006, CPSC published proposed rules in the Federal Register that would mandate performance, informational, and offer-of-training requirements for youth and adult ATVs, and design requirements for youth ATVs. Youth ATVs would be categorized by speed limitation.
Additional Information
Safety Information:
www.ATVsafety.gov provides ATV safety tips, information about product recalls, links to other safety Web sites, and information about state legislation.
Incident Data:
Voluntary Standard and Code Activities:
Correspondence to SVIA
March 21, 2007. Response to January 31, 2007, canvass copy of the draft proposed revision to ANSI/SVIA 1-2001 (PDF)
Correspondence to SVIA
November 13, 2006. Response to September 19, 2006, canvass copy of the draft proposed revision of ANSI/SVIA 1-2001 (PDF)
CPSC Staff Reports, Memoranda and Contracts:
Contact Specialty Vehicle Institute of America (SVIA)
For further information, contact Thomas Yager, Vice President, Safety Programs, at tyager@svia.org
Contact CPSC
For additional information or to comment, please contact cpsc-os@cpsc.gov
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