Industry Seeks Better ATV Safety for Kids

April 2007

All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) manufacturers have proposed a plan to reduce ATV injuries making new transitional models labeled Y-14, for riders 14 years of age and older. The industry feels the step is necessary to prevent teens from riding larger adult models that are heavier and faster than the ATVs currently made for children.

At present, ATVs are sold with three designations: Y-6 for children six years and older, Y-12 for those 12 and up, and adult models for riders at least 16 years of age. But as ATV use is at an all-time high, emergency room cases of injured riders under 16 topped the 40,000 mark in 2004.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), a federally funded agency that regulates ATVs, did recommended bigger sizes for teen models in a recent report. But currently, they have not approved the new Y-14 proposal, which also includes moving Y-12 down to Y-10. Along with the new plan, the CPSC is considering rules that require manufacturers to provide a free training course for all ATV buyers.