ATV OEMs urge West Virginia to adopt safety rules - News
Author: Dealernews

Seven major ATV manufacturers submitted an open letter to the West Virginia Legislature urging passage of ATV safety legislation during its current session. The letter calls on lawmakers to establish clear age limits and other safety rules on ATV operation that have been long advocated by the industry and pro-safety organizations.

"State legislation regulating the safe use of ATVs is the important missing element in West Virginia," says Roger Hagie, director of public affairs at Kawasaki and chairman of the board of trustees at the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America (SVIA). "We hope that this session is the time that West Virginia joins most other states in passing ATV safety legislation."

The open letter urged the West Virginia Legislature to "include in any ATV safety legislation provisions contained in SVIA's model legislation, such as prohibiting the use of adult-size ATVs by children under 16, barring multiple riders on a single-rider vehicle, requiring riders to wear helmets and eye protection while riding, and banning ATV use on paved roads." The letter was signed by Arctic Cat, Bombardier, Honda, Kawasaki, Polaris, Suzuki and Yamaha.

Nearly nine out of 10 accidents--88%--ending in fatalities in the past six years in West Virginia involved behaviors by ATV riders that the industry warns against in owner's manuals, on product labels and in rider education programs.