IRVINE, Calif., Apr. 5, 2011 – MIC General Counsel Paul Vitrano, representing the powersports industry and its riders, will urge Congress to stop the ban on youth ATVs and motorcycles caused by the Consumer Product Safety Improvement (CPSIA) at a hearing on Thursday, April 7, held by House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade. Vitrano will testify at a subcommittee hearing focused on a discussion draft of a bill to amend the CPSIA. The Act’s unintended consequences have severely impacted youth riders of dirt bikes and ATVs and the motorcycle/ATV industry at large.
Vitrano will emphasize the need for clear and absolute relief. “The only way to stop the ban on youth ATVs and motorcycles with certainty and finality is to amend the range of children’s products to age 6 and under or to add a categorical exemption for the vehicles,” he said.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has acknowledged the ban on youth model off-highway vehicles (OHVs) resulting from the lead limits in the CPSIA will likely result in children 12 years of age and younger riding larger and faster adult-size vehicles, a known safety risk. CPSC studies show almost 90 percent of youth injuries and fatalities occur on adult-size ATVs.
“The real risk to children comes from banning youth models, not from the lead in certain components,” Vitrano said. “The CPSC’s scientists acknowledge the presence of lead in metal alloys in these youth models does not present a health hazard to children. We are close to solving this unintended consequence of the CPSIA once and for all. The powersports industry thanks Subcommittee Chair Representative Bono Mack for holding this hearing, and the entire industry is grateful that the subcommittee is formally considering legislation to stop the ban for the benefit of the riders.”
Visit www.stopthebannow.com to have your voice heard and for background information, frequently asked questions, and public outreach tools for the Stop The Ban campaign.
The Motorcycle Industry Council exists to preserve, protect and promote motorcycling through government relations, communications and media relations, statistics and research, aftermarket programs, development of data communications standards, and activities surrounding technical and regulatory issues. It is a not-for-profit, national industry association representing manufacturers and distributors of motorcycles, scooters, motorcycle/ATV/ROV parts and accessories, and members of allied trades such as insurance, finance and investment companies, media companies and consultants. The MIC is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., with a government relations office in metropolitan Washington, D.C. First called the MIC in 1970, the organization has been in operation since 1914. Visit the MIC at www.mic.org.
