Washington D.C.—As of August 13, 2016, Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and its Off-Highway Safety Coalition have documented 335 off-highway vehicle (OHV) fatalities in 2016—a 3% increase over the 324 fatalities documented as of August 13 last year.* This is a continuation of a trend CFA noted in July when it documented that as of June 28, 2016, there were 249 OHV fatalities—which represented a 10% increase over the 226 fatalities documented through June 28, for 2015.
Observing data trends is one of the benefits of CFA’s coalition’s real-time data tracking. In response to this disturbing trend, we urge that consumers follow safe riding practices (below) and that state lawmakers stop allowing OHVs on roads where most fatalities occur. We further urge the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to finalize the all-terrain vehicle rulemaking.
“State and local decision makers need to stop expanding on road use of OHVs. Permitting OHVs on roads signals to consumers that it is safe to do so—which manufacturers, the CPSC, and health and safety advocates all agree that it is not a safe riding practice,” stated Rachel Weintraub Legislative Director and General Counsel for Consumer Federation of America. “Since more than half of all fatalities each year take place on roads, CFA urges lawmakers not to open up roads for OHV use. Reversing this trend will have a huge safety impact.”
Three Main Types of OHVs
OHV’s are comprised of three main types of vehicles: all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) which are off-road, motorized vehicles having three or four low-pressure tires, a straddle seat for the operator, and handlebars for steering control; recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs) which are off road vehicles that have four or more low pressure tires, bench or bucket seating, automotive type controls, rollover bars, occupant restraints and a maximum speed over 30 mph; and utility task vehicles (UTVs) which have the same design elements as ROVs, but UTVs have maximum speeds of 30 mph or less.
CFA Data and Policy Resources
CFA publishes monthly reports analyzing year to date fatality data and highlighting key facts, such as that the majority of OHV fatalities consistently take place on roads despite warnings from manufacturers and health and safety advocates that OHVs are not designed to be operated on road surfaces.
In March 2014, CFA released a report, “ATVs on Roadways: A Safety Crisis” documenting the growing trend of states permitting ATV use on roads, a practice that contradicts recommendations from the CPSC, public health, consumer and ATV industry groups. CFA updated this report in 2015 and found that ROVs are permitted wherever ATVs are permitted.
“We hope that policy makers and reporters will make use of our data, which we are now compiling in easy to share infographics, to highlight the real world costs in lives of operating OHVs on roads,” noted Michael Best Senior Policy Advocate at Consumer Federation of America. “We also make reports from CFA and academics available on our OHV safety microsite which decision makers can use to inform themselves when considering a law or ordinance that will expand OHV on-road use.”
Consumers Should Follow Six Safe Riding Practices:
- Never operate an OHV on a road—Most OHV fatalities occur on roads and manufacturers and health and safety advocates agree that OHVs are not designed for road use.
- Never permit children younger than 16 years old to operate an adult-size OHV or any OHV that is too large and too powerful for them—OHVs are powerful machines that can overwhelm a child’s ability to control them.
- Always wear a helmet and other protective gear when riding an OHV—Safety gear is important but does not negate the danger of risky behaviors like riding on roads.
- Never allow more people on an OHV than it was designed to carry—Adding passengers that the vehicle was not designed to carry can negatively impact handling and stability.
- Never ride when under the influence—Not only is this an important safety behavior when operating any machinery, it may also be illegal to operate an OHV under the influence in your jurisdiction.
- Take a hands-on safety course—OHVs are not automobiles and require specialized training to operate safely.
“We urge state and local policymakers to decrease on-road use of OHVs and support state law changes to restrict passengers, require the use of helmets, and restrict OHV usage by children,” stated Weintraub. “We also urge federal policymakers to adopt new standards to improve the safety performance of OHVs.”
*CORRECTION: This press release was corrected on September 22, 2016. CFA identified a mathematical error in our original release and we have corrected that number in this version.
Contact: Rachel Weintraub, 202-939-1012; Michael Best, 202-939-1009
The Consumer Federation of America is an association of more than 250 nonprofit consumer organizations that was established in 1968 to advance the consumer interest through research, advocacy, and education.