Feds look to crack down on ATV injuries, deaths

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is considering new rules that would prohibit passengers from being carried on all-terrain vehicles, better known as ATVs or four-wheelers.

The rules would address growing safety concerns the CPSC has with ATVs.

{mosads}The CPSC noted it has regulated ATVs since the 1980s but to no avail, as the number of deaths and injuries resulting from accidents involving the off-road vehicles continues to rise.

“Despite these activities, ATV-related fatalities continue to be one of the largest categories of consumer product-related deaths,” the agency wrote in the Federal Register.

The CPSC is issuing a request for information, as it considers whether to propose new rules. The agency said it is particularly interested in preventing passengers from riding on ATVs.

A study from the CPSC found that passengers account for about 25 percent of ATV-related injuries and 10 percent of deaths.

The CPSC is trying to determine how often passengers ride on ATVs, and how the agency could prevent them from being injured or killed.

This could include changes to the design of ATVs making it difficult for passengers to ride along, the agency noted.

The public has 60 days to comment on the notice.