Washington D.C.—As families across the country are about to celebrate the July 4th holiday, Consumer Federation of America (CFA) wants to alert off-highway vehicle (OHV) riders of the increase in deaths that we have identified in the first six months of 2016 and reiterate six important safe riding practices.
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.
Ten Percent Increase in OHV Deaths in 2016 Compared to 2015; Decrease in Child Fatalities
As of June 28, 2016, CFA and its OHV safety coalition have documented 249 OHV fatalities, a 10 percent increase over the 226 OHV fatalities identified by that same date in 2015—a year in which we ultimately identified 506 fatalities, the majority of which occurred on roadways.
The number of documented child fatalities has decreased 20 percent since the same date last year. In 2016, thus far, CFA’s coalition has documented the deaths of 42 children aged 15 years or younger and 26 of those 42 child deaths involved children 12 years or younger.
CFA collects data from news reports, game or natural resource crash investigations, state crash investigations, as well as from data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). CFA data is likely an underestimate of actual fatalities.
Six Critical Tips to Reduce OHV Deaths and Injuries
- Never operate an OHV on a road.
- 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.
- Always wear a helmet and other protective gear when riding an OHV.
- Never allow more people on an OHV than it was designed to carry.
- Never ride when under the influence.
- Take a hands-on safety course.
“This July 4th, do not operate OHVs on roads and wear a helmet even if your state, county, or city allows OHVs on roads or doesn’t require helmet use,” stated Rachel Weintraub Legislative Director and General Counsel for Consumer Federation of America. “The data CFA has collected for the first six months of 2016 indicates an increase in total deaths. This is problematic and we don’t want these numbers to rise this holiday weekend.”
“That CFA’s data is indicating a 10 percent increase in fatalities this year raises concerns about policies expanding on road access and a failure to address changes in product design that could decrease fatalities substantially,” stated Michael Best, Senior Policy Advocate at the Consumer Federation of America.
In 2006, in response to a petition filed by CFA and other consumer groups in 2002, CPSC began a rulemaking process to create new ATV safety standards. On August 12, 2011, Congress passed H.R. 2715 which directed the CPSC to complete the ATV rulemaking within a year of enactment. The rule has not yet been completed.
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.
Contact:
Rachel Weintraub, CFA (202) 939-1012
Michael Best, CFA (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. www.consumerfed.org