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“Year after year, CFA has found that the percentage of children dying in OHV-related incidents is alarming,” said Courtney Griffin, CFA’s Director of Consumer Product Safety.  “It is devastating to see toddlers included in this statistic.”

“All OHVs, even youth models, pose risks,” said Dr. Gary Smith, President of the Child Injury Prevention Alliance. “OHVs are fast, complex machines, and due to their design, they roll over easily. One wrong choice could lead to the emergency department or worse. Children younger than 16 years just aren’t ready for the demands of safe riding, so we encourage parents to find a different activity for their child.”

According to the 2023 fatality data, OHV fatalities disproportionately occur on-roads.  Last year, 67% of OHV deaths occurred on-road.  Even industry groups have opposed the use of OHVs, including All-Terrain Vehicles (ATV), on roads because the vehicles are not designed, manufactured, or intended for use on public streets, roads, or highways.  Unfortunately, roadway crashes are more likely to involve multiple fatalities, collisions, and head injuries. Victims in roadway crashes are less likely to wear protective gear, such as helmets, and were more likely to be carrying passengers, both things that are risk factors for ATV-related fatalities and injuries.

CFA has been working to minimize deaths and injuries from OHVs for decades by petitioning the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to ban adult-size ATVs for children, convening a coalition to prevent OHV road access, compiling fatality information in real time with that coalition, and urging the CPSC to collect annual Recreational Off Highway vehicle (ROV) data among other requests to take steps to reduce OHV deaths and injuries.

CFA urges consumers to take the following seven critical steps 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 or too powerful for them.
• Always wear a helmet and other protective gear when riding an OHV.
• When riding an OHV that contains seatbelts, always wear them.
• 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.

Our partners at Prevent Child Injury have issued an important ATV safety toolkit aimed specifically at helping parents learn about the risks of children using ATVs. If consumers have experienced an incident or injury involving an OHV, reports can be submitted to the CPSC at www.cpsc.gov.

CFA makes all tracked OHV fatality data available on our website.

The post 2023 Fatality Data: Another Devastating Year for Off-Highway Vehicle Riders and Occupants appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

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A Consumer Federation of America (CFA) analysis of off highway vehicle (OHV) recalls found that from January 2010 to July 14, 2023, there have been 175 OHV recalls, and the number of recalls per year has increased from two recalls in 2010 to 21 recalls in 2022. So far in 2023, there have been 11 recalls. OHVs include all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs), and utility task vehicles (UTVs).

In addition, CFA analysis of CPSC OHV recall reports during the period analyzed found that 31 brands were involved in the recalls, and the brand with the most recalls (over triple that of the brand with the second most recalls) was Polaris.[2] CPSC reports identified at least 86 injuries and two deaths linked to OHVs that were subsequently recalled. Also, over two million OHVs were estimated to be sold and subsequently recalled.

Recall Volume by Brand and Year

From January 1, 2010 through July 14, 2023 a total of 175 recall notices were identified. Thirty-one brands were involved in the notices, and the brand that had the most recall notices during the period was Polaris. Figure 1, below, shows the number of OHV recalls during the report period. In 2017, there were a total of 24 recalls—the highest number of recalls in a single year during the period analyzed. In 2023 thus far, there have been 11 recalls. In 2022, there were a total of 21 recalls – the second highest number of recalls on record for the period analyzed. In 2021 there was 20 recalls, and in 2020 and 2019 there were 16 recalls. In 2018, there were 17 recalls and in 2016, there were 16 recalls. In 2011, there was one recall, but the following year the number of recalls increased to nine, a nine-fold increase, which was the highest increase, between years, for the time period analyzed by CFA.

The OHV recalls involve thirty different brands. Figure 2, below, shows that Polaris had the most recalls, 61, while Kawasaki had the second highest number of recalls, 16. BRP had the third highest number of recalls, 14.

*Arctic Cat issued three recall notices under the name Arctic Cat on March 2014, July 2015, and August 2016. In October 2017 and November 2017, Arctic Cat issued a recall but under the name Textron. According to Textron’s website, Textron announced it purchased Arctic Cat in March 2017. For the purposes of this analysis, the Textron recall for Arctic Cat was included under the name Arctic Cat.

**Different CPSC recall notices for Bad Boy Buggies differ on who is issuing the recall. On January 2017, Textron issued a recall for Bad Boy Buggies, and it was listed as the manufacturer of Bad Boy Buggies in the CPSC recall notice. On April 2014 and December 2011, Bad Boy Buggies issued two recalls for UTVs alongside E-Z-GO. E-Z-GO issued the two recalls for golf carts. Both Bad Boy Buggies and E-Z-GO are manufactured by Textron, according to the CPSC recall notices. For the purposes of this analysis, the recalls issued under Textron and E-Z-GO for Bad Boy Buggy products are included under the name Bad Boy Buggies.

Recalls Driven by Fire and Crash Hazards Posed by Fuel, Steering, and Throttle Issues

There are numerous reasons why OHVs have been recalled, and CFA was able to identify some patterns. For example, looking at the entire period, the cause of the most recalls is fire hazards. Fire related hazards accounted for 70 recalls (40 %). The second most common hazard indicated in the OHV recall notifications related to throttle issues which accounted for 23 of the 175 recalls, or 13%. The third most common hazard identified as the cause of OHV recalls involved steering related issues which made up 22 recalls (13%). These top three hazards represent nearly three-quarters of hazards that led to recalls (66%).

Fire related hazards include issues such as fuel hoses leaking, exhaust pipes cracking, firewalls failing, melting of components, and other fuel related issues. Issues related to the throttle include the throttle failing to return to idle or failing in some way. Examples of steering related issues include the steering shaft breaking and the electronic power steering unit malfunctioning.

Injuries and Deaths

Injuries or deaths were involved in about one in five OHV recalls. Out of the 175 recalls analyzed, 37 recalls (21.5%) involved at least one injury. Tragically, the most serious involved two deaths. The most recent documented death associated with a recall occurred in January 2017 and involved the rollover of an OHV that was subsequently recalled because it did not have seatbelts, resulting in the death of a 14-year-old passenger. The second death occurred in April 2016 on an OHV that caught fire (the specific part of the vehicle that caught fire was not identified) and then rolled over, resulting in the death of a 15-year-old passenger.

There were 86 injuries included in the recall notices. The CPSC did not always identify the severity of the injuries, but of the 86 injuries included, there were at least two severe injuries. One individual suffered a serious leg injury after a rollover incident (the vehicle in this incident was part of the same recall as the January 2017 death above). And the second severe injury included a young child who suffered severe burns after an ROV caught fire (this recall noted that an additional five people suffered burn injuries but did not indicate that they were severe).

2,671,606 Vehicles Subsequently Recalled were Sold

For every recall issued, the CPSC estimates the number of impacted vehicles sold. For the 175 recalls analyzed, the CPSC estimates that 2,671,606 vehicles subsequently recalled were sold. The recalls that involved the largest number of OHVs were a Textron recall, a Maxtrade recall, a Polaris recall, and an American Honda recall. The Textron E-Z-GO Personal Transportation Vehicle recall impacted approximately 143,000 vehicles, in February 2023, and was due to the risk of the vehicle catching fire and involved the largest number of vehicles recalled during the period analyzed.

The second highest number of individual vehicles involved a Maxtrade Youth ATV and was recalled due to violating the federal mandatory ATV safety standard for youth ATVs. This recall occurred in February 2012 and involved about 141,000 vehicles. The recall with the third highest number of vehicles was a Polaris RZR ROV recall. This vehicle was recalled due to the ROV catching fire while consumers were driving and affected approximately 133,000 vehicles. The fourth largest recall involved 118,600 American Honda ROVs recalled in December 2020 due to steering control issues.

Investigation into Cause of Increasing Recalls Needed

OHVs are powerful vehicles that can pose safety risks to OHV drivers and passengers even during seemingly low risk conditions. But when drivers are unwittingly using defective OHVs, the safety risk increases even more. More defective vehicles being used means more potential injuries and deaths.

OHV companies must do everything necessary to ensure the safety of their products. While we applaud companies for taking responsibility and recalling their products, problems should be identified before the products enter the marketplace and pose risks to consumers. We urge companies to continue to voluntarily recall products with the CPSC and not unilaterally take actions that are not recalls.

This analysis identified that more OHV recalls have been occurring more recently. These recalled OHVs have been involved in incidents resulting in at least two deaths and 86 injuries. The CPSC must investigate why the number of OHV recalls are increasing and take steps, along with OHV manufacturers, to prevent these tragedies and improve the safety of these vehicles.

[1] Brand, is used to denote the type of OHV being recalled. While the brand is sometimes synonymous with the manufacturer, it is sometimes the name of an OHV produced by a manufacturer of a different name.  In some instances, it is not clear from the recall notice who the manufacturer is.

[2] A single CPSC recall notice can include a single model or multiple models, as well as a single model year or multiple model years, or any combination of these factors.

[3] There were five CPSC recall notices that included golf carts alongside OHVs. The CPSC recall notices did not separate the total units of the OHV products from the golf cart products. Therefore this total includes some units of golf carts.

Appendix: Links to CPSC OHV Recall Reports

From January 1, 2010 through May 18, 2023

The post An Analysis of OHV Recalls: Increasing Number of OHVs Pulled from Market Due to Safety Concerns appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

“Year after year, CFA has seen that more children die in OHV-related incidents on July 4 than any other day of the year,” said Courtney Griffin, CFA’s Director of Consumer Product Safety. “We urge all OHV riders to prioritize safety, use proper safety equipment and restraints, never operate on roads, never permit children to operate adult-sized OHV, and never carry more passengers on an OHV than it is designed to carry.”

According to data gathered by CFA and its OHV Safety Coalition, OHV fatalities disproportionally occur during summer months and often spike in July. From 2013 through 2022, CFA and the OHV Safety Coalition have documented 793 total deaths during the month of July.

CFA data from 2013 through 2022 show that the most fatalities for all people, (children and adults) occurred on July 4. Of the total 70 recorded deaths on July 4^th occurring from 2013 through 2022, 17 were children under the age of 16, comprising nearly one quarter of all deaths (24.3%).

“All OHVs, even youth models, pose risks,” said Dr. Gary Smith, President of the Child Injury Prevention Alliance. “OHVs are fast, complex machines, and due to their design, they roll over easily. One wrong choice could lead to the emergency department or worse. Children younger than 16 years just aren’t ready for the demands of safe riding, so we encourage parents to find a different activity for their child.”

CFA has been working to minimize deaths and injuries from OHVs for decades by petitioning the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to ban adult-size ATVs for children, convening a coalition to prevent OHV road access, compiling fatality information in real time with that coalition, and urging the CPSC to collect annual Recreational Off Highway vehicle (ROV) data among other requests to take steps to reduce OHV deaths and injuries. Just this week, the CPSC voted to make it unlawful for EGL Motors to import or distribute its ATVs in the United States after the company repeatedly failed to comply with federal legal requirements, including failing to ensure ATVs that obtain speeds permitted only for adults are not marketed and sold to youth-aged riders.

CFA urges consumers to take the following seven critical steps 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 or too powerful for them.
• Always wear a helmet and other protective gear when riding an OHV.
• When riding an OHV that contains seatbelts, always wear them.
• 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.

Our partners at Prevent Child Injury have issued an important ATV safety toolkit aimed specifically at helping parents learn about the risks of children using ATVs. If consumers have experienced an incident or injury involving an OHV, reports can be submitted to the CPSC at www.cpsc.gov.

CFA makes all tracked OHV fatality data available on our website.

Contacts:
Courtney Griffin, 202-567-7240
Dr. Gary A. Smith, 614-578-5053

The post As July 4th Approaches, Consumer Federation of America Urges Caution For OHV Riders appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

CFA leads a coalition of individuals and organizations dedicated to reducing deaths and injuries caused by OHVs. CFA’s OHV Safety Coalition tracks news reports and compiles OHV fatalities in real time. As of May 2023, the OHV Safety Coalition has identified 126 OHV fatalities this year, finding that a disproportionate amount of the fatalities are children under the age of 16.  ATV riders account for the highest number of fatalities in both the CPSC newly released data and the OHV Safety Coalition data.

“The recently released CPSC data, in addition to the work of CFA’s OHV Safety Coalition, demonstrates the urgent need for the CPSC, manufacturers, retailers, and other key stakeholders to do more to prevent these serious, sometimes fatal, incidents,” said Courtney Griffin, CFA’s Director of Consumer Product Safety. “It is imperative that we do everything we can to protect our most vulnerable.”

The post Statement of Consumer Federation of America on CPSC’s 2022 Report of Deaths and Injuries Involving Off-Highway Vehicles With More Than Two Wheels appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

“Children under 16 continue to suffer the largest percentage of OHV fatalities,” stated Rachel Weintraub, Legislative Director and General Counsel with CFA. “As summer begins, we hope that OHV incidents will not remain as high and urge caution to OHV riders.”

OHVs are comprised of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs), and utility task vehicles (UTVs). According to data gathered by CFA and its OHV Safety Coalition, from 2013 through 2021 July has been the month with the most OHV fatalities with May, August and June following as the second, third, and fourth months with the most deaths. Our 2021 data showed May and August tied as the months with the most OHV fatalities, with July and April following as the second and third months with the most deaths. Despite this shift, the 2013- 2021 data show that July accounts for the highest number of fatalities compared to all other months. The summer months of May, July, and August remain the deadliest months for OHV fatalities.

“All OHVs, even youth models, pose risks,” said Dr. Gary Smith, President of the Child Injury Prevention Alliance. “OHVs are fast, complex machines, and due to their design, they roll over easily. One wrong choice could lead to the emergency department or worse. Children younger than 16 years just aren’t ready for the demands of safe riding, so we encourage parents to find a different activity for their child.”

CFA and its OHV Safety Coalition have been documenting OHV deaths since 2013 by compiling, analyzing, and making publicly available data and findings from relevant newspaper and government resources. From 2013 through 2021, CFA and the OHV Safety Coalition have documented 729 total deaths during the month of July for those years combined. For the entire period of 2013 – 2021, CFA has documented over 5,478 deaths. While these numbers are high, these findings are not yet complete, and the number of deaths will likely increase as additional information becomes available.

OHV Fatalities in Each State

CFA’s OHV fatality data includes state by state data. Our data from January 2013 through December 2021, identifies that the states with the most fatalities include: 1) Pennsylvania (294); 2) Texas (274); 3) Missouri (226); 4) California (224); and 5) Wisconsin (223). The heat map below provides fatality information for each state.

The Most OHV Fatalities Occur on July 4^th

CFA data from 2013 through 2021 shows that the most fatalities for all people, children and adults, occurred on July 4^th. Of the total 69 recorded deaths on July 4^th occurring from 2013 through 2021, 17 were children under 16, comprising one quarter of all deaths (25%).

“On no other day of the year were there double-digit deaths for children age 16 or younger,” stated Weintraub.

Most Dangerous Days of the Year for Adults and Children on OHVs

“July 4^th has historically been the day with the most OHV deaths,” stated Weintraub. “We urge all OHV riders to prioritize safety so that this statistic will not be a reality again in 2022. Operators of OHVs must have the necessary skills to maneuver an OHV, should use appropriate safety equipment, such as helmets, should never operate on roads, and never carry passengers.”

CFA has been working to minimize deaths and injuries from OHVs for decades by petitioning the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to ban adult-size ATVs for children, by convening a coalition to prevent OHV road access, and with that coalition, by compiling fatality information in real time, and by urging the CPSC to collect annual ROV data among other requests to take steps to reduce OHV deaths and injuries.

CFA urges consumers to take the following seven critical steps 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 or too powerful for them.
• Always wear a helmet and other protective gear when riding an OHV.
• When riding an OHV that contains seatbelts, always wear them.
• 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.

Our partners at Prevent Child Injury have issued an important ATV safety toolkit available at https://www.preventchildinjury.org/toolkits/atv-safety aimed specifically at helping parents learn about the risks of children using ATVs.

If consumers have experienced an incident or injury involving an OHV, reports can be submitted to the CPSC at www.cpsc.gov.

CFA and the OHV Safety Coalition collect fatality data from news reports, game or natural resource crash investigations, state crash investigations, as well as data from the CPSC, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). CFA data is likely an underestimate of actual fatalities and CFA consistently updates the data as more information is obtained. CFA makes this data available on our website.

Contacts:
Rachel Weintraub, 202-939-1012
Dr. Gary A. Smith, 614-578-5053

The post As Summer Begins CFA Urges Caution for OHV Riders Especially to Children Under 16 appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

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“We are alarmed at reports of increased numbers of OHV emergency room visits in hospitals in at least sixteen states. These increases are occurring earlier than usual due to COVID-19 and we hope that the increasing trend we have seen throughout this past year will not continue as summer begins,” stated Rachel Weintraub, legislative director and general counsel with CFA.

OHVs are comprised of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs), and utility task vehicles (UTVs). According to data gathered by CFA and its OHV Safety Coalition, from 2013 through 2020 July is the month with the most OHV fatalities and May, June and August follow as the second, third, and fourth months with the most deaths. The day with the highest number of fatalities is July 4^th. Even more troubling, July 4^th is also the day of the year with the most fatalities of children aged 16 or younger.

“All OHVs, even youth models, pose risks. OHVs are fast, complex machines, and due to their design, they roll over easily. One wrong choice could lead to the emergency department or worse. Children younger than 16 years just aren’t ready for the demands of safe riding, so we encourage parents to find a different activity for their child,” said Dr. Gary Smith, President of the Child Injury Prevention Alliance.

CFA and its OHV Safety Coalition have been documenting OHV deaths since 2013 by compiling, analyzing, and making publicly available data and findings from relevant newspaper and government resources. From 2013 through 2020, CFA and the OHV Safety Coalition documented over 646 total deaths during the month of July for those years combined. For the entire time period, CFA has documented over 4,860 deaths. While these numbers are high, these findings are not yet complete and the number of deaths will likely increase as additional information becomes available.

 OHV Fatalities in Each State

CFA’s OHV fatality data includes state by state data. Our data from January 2013 through December 2020, identifies that the states with the most fatalities include: 1) Pennsylvania (269); 2) Texas (251); 3) California (204); 4) Missouri (201); and 5) Florida (195). The heat map below provides fatality information for each state.

 The Most OHV Fatalities Occur on July 4^th

 CFA data from 2013 through 2020 shows that the most fatalities for all people, children and adults, occurred on July 4^th. Of the total 64 recorded deaths on July 4^th occurring from 2013 through 2020, 16 were children aged 16 or younger comprising one quarter of all deaths. (25%). “On no other day of the year were there double-digit deaths for children age 16 or younger,” stated Weintraub.

Most Dangerous Days of the Year
for Adults and Children on OHVs

“July 4^th has historically been the day with the most OHV deaths. OHV related incidents are already higher this year due to COVID-19 and we urge all OHV riders to prioritize safety so that this statistic will not be a reality again in 2021,” stated Weintraub. “Operators of OHVs must have the necessary skills to maneuver an OHV, should use appropriate safety equipment, such as helmets, should never operate on roads, and never carry passengers.”

CFA has been working to minimize deaths and injuries from OHVs for decades by petitioning the CPSC to ban adult-size ATVs for children, by convening a coalition to prevent OHV road access, and with that coalition, by compiling fatality information in real time, and by urging the CPSC to collect annual ROV data among other requests to take steps to reduce OHV deaths and injuries.

CFA urges consumers to take the following six critical steps in order 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 or too powerful for them.
• Always wear a helmet and other protective gear when riding an OHV.
• When riding an OHV that contains seatbelts, always wear them.
• 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.

Our partners at Prevent Child Injury have issued an important ATV safety toolkit available at https://www.preventchildinjury.org/toolkits/atv-safety aimed specifically at helping parents learn about the risks of children using ATVs.

If consumers have experienced an incident or injury involving an OHV, reports can be submitted to the CPSC at www.cpsc.gov.

CFA and the OHV Safety Coalition collect fatality data from news reports, game or natural resource crash investigations, state crash investigations, as well as data from the CPSC, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). CFA data is likely an underestimate of actual fatalities and CFA consistently updates the data as more information is obtained. CFA makes this data available on our website.

Contact: Rachel Weintraub, 202-939-1012

The post CFA Warns: OHV Injuries Have Increased in At Least Sixteen States Since a State of Emergency Was Declared Due to Covid-19 appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

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A Consumer Federation of America (CFA) analysis of off highway vehicle (OHV) recalls found that over the past 10 years, there have been 123 OHV recalls, and the number of recalls has increased from two recalls in 2010 to 17 recalls in 2018, and 16 in 2019. In 2020, there were also 16 OHV recalls. OHVs include all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs), and utility task vehicles (UTVs). CFA’s analysis of U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) OHV recall reports since 2010 found that the highest number of recalls occurred from January 1, 2016 to January 1, 2019.

In addition, CFA analysis of CPSC OHV recall reports from January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2020 found that 19 brands[1] were involved in the recalls, and the brand with the most recalls (over triple that of the brand with the second most recalls) was Polaris.[2] CPSC reports identified at least 71 injuries and two deaths linked to OHVs that were subsequently recalled. Also, nearly two-million[3] OHVs were estimated to be sold and subsequently recalled.

Recall Volume by Brand and Year

From January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2020, a total of 123 recall notices were identified. Nineteen brands were involved in the notices, and the brand that had the most recall notices during the period was Polaris. Figure 1, below, shows the number of OHV recalls during the report period. In 2017, there were a total of 24 recalls—the highest number of recalls in a single year during the period analyzed. In 2019, there were 16 recalls. In 2018, there were 17 recalls and in 2016, there were 16 recalls. In 2011, there was one recall, but the following year the number of recalls increased to nine, a nine-fold increase, which was the highest increase, between years, for the time period analyzed by CFA.

The OHV recalls involve 19 different brands. Figure 2, below, shows that Polaris had the most recalls, 47, while Kawasaki had the second highest number of recalls, 14. BRP/Can-Am had the third highest number of recalls, 10.

*Arctic Cat issued three recall notices under the name Arctic Cat on March 2014, July 2015, and August 2016. In October 2017 and November 2017, Arctic Cat issued a recall but under the name Textron. According to Textron’s website, Textron announced it purchased Arctic Cat in March 2017. For the purposes of this analysis, the Textron recall for Arctic Cat was included under the name Arctic Cat.

**Different CPSC recall notices for Bad Boy Buggies differ on who is issuing the recall. On January 2017, Textron issued a recall for Bad Boy Buggies, and it was listed as the manufacturer of Bad Boy Buggies in the CPSC recall notice. On April 2014 and December 2011, Bad Boy Buggies issued two recalls for UTVs alongside E-Z-GO. E-Z-GO issued the two recalls for golf carts. Both Bad Boy Buggies and E-Z-GO are manufactured by Textron, according to the CPSC recall notices. For the purposes of this analysis, the recalls issued under Textron and E-Z-GO for Bad Boy Buggy products are included under the name Bad Boy Buggies.

In 2019, we included five actions as recalls but these actions are unilateral actions by the manufacturer, Polaris, that were deemed “Stop Sale/Stop Ride Notices.” One of these notices was issued in June 2019, two notices were issued in October of 2019, and two were issued in December of 2019. These “Stop Sale/Stop Ride Notices” did not involve the CPSC and the CPSC did not communicate these actions to the public. These “Stop Sale/ Stop Ride Notices involved 92,353 vehicles in total and were recalled for a number of reasons including: seat belts not functioning properly; fire hazards, including: incorrect fuel line routing, fuel rail fasteners being improperly torqued, damage to fuel lines in the event of a drive belt failure; and a clutch inlet duct not being removed prior to shipping. While Polaris did not include any information about injuries in these notices, Polaris did include that four incidents occurred where the drive belt failed and damage to the fuel line resulted, and five incidents occurred where the clutch inlet duct created a fire hazard.

Recalls Driven by Fire, Throttle, and Steering Hazards

There are numerous reasons why OHVs have been recalled, and CFA was able to identify some patterns. For example, looking at the entire period, the cause of the most recalls is fire hazards. Fire related hazards accounted for 52 recalls (42%). The second most common hazard indicated in the OHV recall notifications related to throttle issues which accounted for 18 of the 123 recalls, or 15%. The third most common hazard identified as the cause of OHV recalls involved steering related issues which made up 14 recalls (11%). These top three hazards represent nearly three-quarters of hazards that led to recalls (68%).

Fire related hazards include issues such as fuel hoses leaking, exhaust pipes cracking, firewalls failing, melting of components, and other fuel related-issues. Issues related to the throttle include the throttle failing to return to idle or failing in some way. Examples of steering related issues include the steering shaft breaking and the electronic power steering unit malfunctioning.

Injuries and Deaths

Injuries or deaths were involved in about one in five OHV recalls. Out of the 123 recalls analyzed, 25 recalls (20%) involved at least one injury. Tragically, the most serious involved two deaths. The most recent documented death associated with a recall occurred in January 2017 and involved the rollover of an OHV that was subsequently recalled because it did not have seatbelts, resulting in the death of a 14-year-old passenger. The second death occurred in April 2016 on an OHV that caught fire (the specific part of the vehicle that caught fire was not identified) and then rolled over, resulting in the death of a 15-year-old passenger.

There were 71 injuries included in the recall notices. The CPSC did not always identify the severity of the injuries, but of the 71 injuries included, there were at least two severe injuries. One individual suffered a serious leg injury after a rollover incident (the vehicle in this incident was part of the same recall as the January 2017 death above). And the second severe injury included a young child who suffered severe burns after an ROV caught fire (this recall noted that an additional five people suffered burn injuries but did not indicate that they were severe).

1,928,585 Vehicles Subsequently Recalled were Sold

For every recall issued, the CPSC estimates the number of impacted vehicles sold. For the 123 recalls analyzed, the CPSC estimates that 1,928,585 vehicles subsequently recalled were sold. The recalls that involved the largest number of OHVs were two Polaris recalls and two American Honda recalls. The first Polaris RZR ROV recall impacted approximately 133,000 vehicles, in April 2016, and was due to the risk of the vehicle catching fire and involved the largest number of vehicles recalled during the period analyzed.

The second highest number of individual vehicles involved an American Honda Pioneer ROV, recalled due to problems with the electric power steering. This recall occurred in December 2020 and involved about 118,600 vehicles. The recall with the third highest number of vehicles was the second Polaris RZR ROV recall. This vehicle was recalled due to heat shield problems and affected approximately 107,000 vehicles. The fourth largest recall involved 82,000 American Honda ROVs recalled in June 2019 due to the throttle pedal sticking in the open position.

Investigation into Cause of Increasing Recalls Needed

OHVs are powerful vehicles that can pose safety risks to OHV drivers and passengers even during seemingly low risk conditions. But when drivers are unwittingly using defective OHVs, the safety risk increases even more. More defective vehicles being used means more potential injuries and deaths.

OHV companies must do everything necessary to ensure the safety of their products. While we applaud companies for taking responsibility and recalling their products, problems should be identified before the products enter the marketplace and pose risks to consumers. We urge companies to continue to voluntarily recall products with the CPSC and not unilaterally take actions that are not recalls. This analysis identified that more OHV recalls have been occurring more recently. These recalled OHVs have been involved in incidents resulting in at least two deaths and 71 injuries. The CPSC must investigate why the number of OHV recalls are increasing and take steps, along with OHV manufacturers, to prevent these tragedies and improve the safety of these vehicles.

Appendix: Links to CPSC OHV Recall Reports
From January 1, 2010 through December 31, 2020.
Note: if highlighted in gray, that action was a unilateral action taken by the company.

[1] Brand, is used to denote the type of OHV being recalled. While the brand is sometimes synonymous with the manufacturer, it is sometimes the name of an OHV produced by a manufacturer of a different name. In some instances, it is not clear from the recall notice who the manufacturer is.

[2] A single CPSC recall notice can include a single model or multiple models, as well as a single model year or multiple model years, or any combination of these factors.

[3] There were five CPSC recall notices that included golf carts alongside OHVs. The CPSC recall notices did not separate the total units of the OHV products from the golf cart products. Therefore this total includes some units of golf carts.

The post 2020 Analysis of OHV Recalls: Increasing Number of OHVs Pulled from Market due to Safety Concerns appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

“We are alarmed at reports of increased numbers of OHV emergency room visits in hospitals in five states. These increases are occurring earlier than usual due to COVID-19 school closures and stay-at home-orders and we hope that OHV incidents do not continue to increase as summer begins,” stated Rachel Weintraub, Legislative Director and General Counsel with CFA.

OHVs are comprised of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs), and utility task vehicles (UTVs). According to data gathered by CFA and its OHV Safety Coalition, from 2013 through 2019, July is by far the month with the most OHV fatalities, with May and August following as the second and third most fatal months. The day with the highest number of fatalities is July 4^th. Even more troubling, July 4^th is also the day of the year with the most fatalities of children aged 16 or younger.

“All OHVs, even youth models, pose risks. OHVs are fast, complex machines, and due to their design, they roll over easily. One wrong choice could lead to the emergency department or worse. Children younger than 16 years just aren’t ready for the demands of safe riding, so we encourage parents to find a different activity for their child,” said Dr. Gary Smith, President of the Child Injury Prevention Alliance.

CFA and its OHV Safety Coalition have been documenting OHV deaths since 2013 by compiling, analyzing, and making publicly available data and findings from relevant newspaper and government resources. From 2013 through 2019, CFA and the OHV Safety Coalition documented over 550 total deaths during the month of July. For the entire time period, CFA has documented over 4,000 deaths. While these numbers are high, these findings are not yet complete and the number of deaths will likely increase as additional information becomes available.

 From Press Reports, CFA has Identified, that Six States Have Experienced Increases in OHV Related Emergency Room Visits:

Colorado

Two June articles from Colorado, document that the Children’s Hospital of Colorado in Colorado Springs has seen an “118% increase in the number of trauma cases presented in the emergency department. The majority of trauma cases are accidental and related to falls, sports injuries, bike accidents, trampoline injuries, bites, ATV accidents, car accidents, etc.”[1]

The injury prevention coordinator at Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs, Amanda Abramczyk-Thill, stated in an interview with Fox21News, that “It’s really only advised to let a child ride an ATV, drive or ride it if they’re 16 years old or older, kind of like that driver license age.”[2]

Florida

In three articles from May and June in Florida, doctors have documented a “dramatic increase”[3] in “the number of children in the hospital with all-terrain vehicle-related injuries” due to the COVID-19 epidemic school closures.[4] Dr. Marie Crandall, a professor of surgery at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville stated, “We have seen a dramatic increase in the kids that come in with injuries from ATVs as compared to previous years…in a typical year while children are still in school, there are up to three injuries a month from ATVs severe enough that children are taken to the hospital. This year, doctors have seen five to ten incidents a month and up to two or three deaths every month, mostly because of ATV traumatic brain injuries.”[5]

These increases amount to 5% increase in severe ATV incidents requiring an emergency room visit with children in the last few months and Crandall has seen these severe brain injuries first-hand and believes there’s a direct correlation between the rise in accidents and COVID-19.[6]

Dr. Crandall stressed the importance of riders and drivers wearing a helmet and parental supervision when children are driving an ATV.[7]

Georgia

Similarly in Georgia, doctors at Piedmont Columbus Regional are seeing an increase in ATV injuries during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Since the pandemic kids from ages 3 to 15 have been coming in and out of the hospital for treatment. The accidental injuries have increased because more kids are out of school and are now at home.”[8] “We are seeing an increase in accidental injuries, bike injuries, ATV injuries, and also accidental ingestions,”[9] stated Kristin Hinton Clinical Manager of Pediatric Emergency Department at Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital.

Louisiana

In Louisiana, doctors at the Emergency Medical Department for Lake Charles Memorial Hospital have reported that “since the stay-at-home order” there has been an “increase of children injured in ATV accidents, even at night.”[10] Dr. Jon Gray, Emergency Medical Department Director for Lake Charles Memorial Director stated that, “We’ve had about a seventy-five percent increase in the past two months with ATV accidents, so a significant number.” “There has been about eighteen percent more pediatric admissions due to ATV trauma.”[11]

Vermont

The University of Vermont Medical Center Emergency Department has identified that the “total number of people treated for ATV injuries through May 31 is 17 – up from six in 2019 and four in 2018. The number of pediatric cases has jumped to five – up from average of less than one for the last two years. Additionally, alcohol appears to be a factor in about half of the adult cases. For this time period, helmet usage was low among those admitted to the trauma service for ATV related injuries: 25 percent in 2018, 33 percent in 2019 and 29 percent in 2020.”[12] An injury prevention coordinator at the University of Vermont Medical Center, Abby Beerman, stated, that the “rise in ATV injuries this year is alarming. We are concerned that the numbers will continue to increase this summer unless our communities become aware of the issue and practice safe ridership.” [13]

 OHV Fatalities in Each State

CFA’s OHV fatality data also include state by state data. From our data, we are able to identify that the states with the most fatalities include: 1) Pennsylvania (226); 2) Texas (217); 3) California (177); 4) West Virginia (173); and 5) Missouri (171). The heat map below provides fatality information for each state.

The Most OHV Fatalities Occur on July 4th

CFA data from 2013 through 2019 shows that the most fatalities for all people, children and adults, occurred on July 4^th. Of the 52 recorded deaths on July 4^th between 2013 and 2019, 11 were children aged 16 or younger (21.2%). On no other day of the year were there double-digit deaths for children age 16 or younger. Additionally, of the 35 days of the year with five or more deaths of children 16 or younger, 10 days were in the month of July (28.6%). On average, 17.4% of fatalities recorded were children aged 16 or younger.

“July 4^th has historically been the day with the most OHV deaths. OHV related incidents are already higher this year due to COVID-19 and we urge all OHV riders to prioritize safety so that this statistic will not be a reality again in 2020,” stated Weintraub. “Operators of OHVs must have the necessary skills to operate an OHV, should use appropriate safety equipment, such as helmets, should never operate on roads, and never carry passengers.”

CFA OHV fatality data also show that July is the month with the most OHV fatalities.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released its most recent fatality and injury report related to ATVs in February 2020. The CPSC received reports of 264 ATV fatalities in 2018 and 463 in 2017, with the expectation that these numbers will increase as reporting is ongoing. In 2018, CFA identified 600 OHV fatalities and in 2017 CFA data included 633 OHV fatalities. These fatalities include ATVs and ROVs.

CFA has been working to minimize deaths and injuries from OHVs for decades by petitioning the CPSC to ban adult-size ATVs for children, by convening a coalition to prevent OHV road access, and with that coalition, by compiling fatality information in real time, and by urging the CPSC to collect annual ROV data among other requests to take steps to reduce OHV deaths and injuries.

CFA urges consumers to take the following six critical steps in order 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 or 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.

Our partners at Prevent Child Injury have issued an important ATV safety toolkit available at https://www.preventchildinjury.org/toolkits/atv-safety aimed specifically at helping parents learn about the risks of children using ATVs.

CFA and the OHV Safety Coalition collect fatality data from news reports, game or natural resource crash investigations, state crash investigations, as well as data from the CPSC, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). CFA data are likely an underestimate of actual fatalities and CFA consistently updates the data as more information is obtained. CFA makes these data available on our website.

Contact: Rachel Weintraub, 202-939-1012

[1] Cronin, I. (2020, June 05). Your Healthy Family: Trauma visits up at Children’s in Colorado Springs. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://www.koaa.com/community/your-healthy-family/your-healthy-family-er-visits-up-at-childrens-in-colorado-springs

[2] Dawidowicz, C. (2020, June 02). Doctors see an early start to ‘Trauma Season’ this year. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://www.fox21news.com/digital-now/doctors-see-an-early-start-to-trauma-season-this-year/

[3] Muller, B. (2020, May 27). Doctors see ‘dramatic increase’ in children with ATV injuries. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2020/05/27/doctors-see-dramatic-increase-in-children-with-atv-injuries/

[4] Ibid.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Powell, E. (2020, May 28). Child ATV accidents on the rise, doctors think it’s linked to coronavirus. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/child-atv-accidents-are-on-the-rise-doctors-think-its-linked-to-coronavirus/77-5968ef60-d6b9-423d-923a-337d64bc178f

[7] ATV-Related Injuries Involving Children Has Climbed Over The Years. (2020, June 2). Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://www.chaliklaw.com/news/atv-related-injuries-involving-children-has-climbed-over-the-years/

[8] Lyde, J. (2020, May 22). Piedmont Columbus Regional doctors see a rise in bicycle accidents amid COVID-19. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://www.wrbl.com/news/health/coronavirus/piedmont-columbus-regional-doctors-see-rise-in-bicycle-accidents-amid-covid-19/

[9] Ibid.

[10] Kaur, R. (2020, May 15). ATV accidents in juveniles rising. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://www.kplctv.com/2020/05/15/atv-accidents-juveniles-rising/

[11] Ibid.

[12] UVM Medical Center. (2020, June 23). As ATV injuries climb threefold so far this year, Vermonters are advised to follow safety precautions while riding. Retrieved June 30, 2020, from https://vtdigger.org/press_release/as-atv-injuries-climb-threefold-so-far-this-year-vermonters-are-advised-to-follow-safety-precautions-while-riding/

[13] Ibid.

The post Off-Highway Injuries Increase in At Least Five States since Stay At Home Orders Issued appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

In addition, CFA analysis of CPSC OHV recall reports from January 1, 2010 through April 30, 2020 found that 19 brands[1] were involved in the recalls, and the brand with the most recalls (over triple that of the brand with the second most recalls) was Polaris.[2] CPSC reports identified at least 70 injuries and two deaths linked to OHVs that were subsequently recalled. Also, over one and a half million[3] OHVs were estimated to be sold and subsequently recalled.

Recall Volume by Brand and Year

From January 1, 2010 through April 30, 2020, a total of 115 recall notices were identified. Nineteen brands were involved in the notices, and the brand that had the most recall notices during the period was Polaris. Figure 1, below, shows the number of OHV recalls during the report period. In 2017, there were a total of 24 recalls—the highest number of recalls in a single year during the period analyzed. In 2019, there were 16 recalls. In 2018, there were 17 recalls and in 2016, there were 16 recalls. In 2011, there was one recall, but the following year the number of recalls increased to nine, a nine-fold increase, which was the highest increase, between years, for the time period analyzed by CFA.

The OHV recalls involve 19 different brands. Figure 2, below, shows that Polaris had the most recalls, 43, while Kawasaki had the second highest number of recalls, 14. BRP/Can-Am had the third highest number of recalls, nine.

*Arctic Cat issued three recall notices under the name Arctic Cat on March 2014, July 2015, and August 2016. In October 2017 and November 2017, Arctic Cat issued a recall but under the name Textron. According to Textron’s website, Textron announced it purchased Arctic Cat in March 2017. For the purposes of this analysis, the Textron recall for Arctic Cat was included under the name Arctic Cat.

**Different CPSC recall notices for Bad Boy Buggies differ on who is issuing the recall. On January 2017, Textron issued a recall for Bad Boy Buggies, and it was listed as the manufacturer of Bad Boy Buggies in the CPSC recall notice. On April 2014 and December 2011, Bad Boy Buggies issued two recalls for UTVs alongside E-Z-GO. E-Z-GO issued the two recalls for golf carts. Both Bad Boy Buggies and E-Z-GO are manufactured by Textron, according to the CPSC recall notices. For the purposes of this analysis, the recalls issued under Textron and E-Z-GO for Bad Boy Buggy products are included under the name Bad Boy Buggies.

In 2019, we included five actions as recalls but these actions are unilateral actions by the manufacturer, Polaris, that were deemed “Stop Sale/Stop Ride Notices.” One of these notices was issued in June 2019, two notices were issued in October of 2019, and two were issued in December of 2019. These “Stop Sale/Stop Ride Notices” did not involve the CPSC and the CPSC did not communicate these actions to the public. These “Stop Sale/ Stop Ride Notices involved 92,353 vehicles in total and were recalled for a number of reasons including: seat belts not functioning properly; fire hazards, including: incorrect fuel line routing, fuel rail fasteners being improperly torqued, damage to fuel lines in the event of a drive belt failure; and a clutch inlet duct not being removed prior to shipping. While Polaris did not include any information about injuries in these notices, Polaris did include that four incidents occurred where the drive belt failed and damage to the fuel line resulted, and five incidents occurred where the clutch inlet duct created a fire hazard.

Recalls Driven by Fire, Throttle, and Steering Hazards

There are numerous reasons why OHVs have been recalled, and CFA was able to identify some patterns. For example, looking at the entire period, the cause of the most recalls is fire hazards. Fire related hazards accounted for 52 recalls (45%). The second most common hazard indicated in the OHV recall notifications related to throttle issues which accounted for 15 of the 115 recalls or 13%. The third most common hazard identified as the cause of OHV recalls involved steering related issues which made up 13 recalls (11%). These top three hazards represent nearly three-quarters of hazards that led to recalls (69%).

Fire related hazards include issues such as fuel hoses leaking, exhaust pipes cracking, firewalls failing, melting of components, and other fuel related-issues. Issues related to the throttle include the throttle failing to return to idle or failing in some way. Examples of steering related issues include the steering shaft breaking and the electronic power steering unit malfunctioning.

Injuries and Deaths

Injuries and deaths were involved in nearly one quarter of all of the OHV recalls. Out of the 115 recalls analyzed, 24 recalls (21%) involved at least one injury. Tragically, the most serious involved two deaths. The most recent death occurred in January 2017 and involved the rollover of an OHV that was subsequently recalled because it did not have seatbelts, resulting in the death of a 14-year-old passenger. The second death occurred in April 2016 on an OHV that caught fire (the specific part of the vehicle that caught fire was not identified) and then rolled over, resulting in the death of a 15-year-old passenger.

There were 70 injuries included in the recall notices. The CPSC did not always identify the severity of the injuries, but of the 70 injuries included, there were at least two severe injuries. One individual suffered a serious leg injury after a rollover incident (the vehicle in this incident was part of the same recall as the January 2017 death above). And the second severe injury included a young child who suffered severe burns after an ROV caught fire (this recall noted that an additional five people suffered burn injuries but did not label them severe).

1,723,093 Vehicles Subsequently Recalled were Sold

For every recall issued, the CPSC estimates the number of impacted vehicles sold. For the 115 recalls analyzed, the CPSC estimates that 1,723,093 vehicles subsequently recalled were sold. The recalls that involved the largest number of OHVs were three Polaris recalls, one Kawasaki recall, and one American Honda recall. The Polaris RZR ROV recall impacted approximately 133,000 vehicles, in April 2016, and was due to the risk of the vehicle catching fire and involved the largest number of vehicles recalled during the period analyzed.

The second highest number of individual vehicles involved a Polaris RZR ROV recall, due to heat shield problems. This recall occurred in April 2018 and involved approximately 107,000 vehicles. The recall with the third highest number of vehicles involved an American Honda ROV recall and included 82,000 vehicles in June 2019 due to the throttle pedal sticking in the open position. Both of the two recalls with the fourth highest number of vehicles involved approximately 80,000 vehicles: one occurred in March 2020 and involved a Kawasaki UTV due to a crash hazard posed by the steering shaft crash, and the other occurred in April 2020 and involved a Polaris UTV that posed a fire hazard due to the clutch belt.

Investigation into Cause of Increasing Recalls Needed

OHVs are powerful vehicles that can pose safety risks to OHV drivers and passengers even during seemingly low risk conditions. But when drivers are unwittingly using defective OHVs, the safety risk increases even more. More defective vehicles being used means more potential injuries and deaths.

OHV companies must do everything necessary to ensure the safety of their products. While we applaud companies for taking responsibility and recalling their products, problems should be identified before the products enter the marketplace and pose risks to consumers. We urge companies to continue to voluntarily recall products with the CPSC and not unilaterally take actions that are not recalls. This analysis identified that more OHV recalls have been occurring more recently. These recalled OHVs have been involved in incidents resulting in at least two deaths and 70 injuries. The CPSC must investigate why the number of OHV recalls are increasing and take steps, along with OHV manufacturers, to prevent these tragedies and improve the safety of these vehicles.

[1] Brand, is used to denote the type of OHV being recalled. While the brand is sometimes synonymous with the manufacturer, it is sometimes the name of an OHV produced by a manufacturer of a different name. In some instances, it is not clear from the recall notice who the manufacturer is.

[2] A single CPSC recall notice can include a single model or multiple models, as well as a single model year or multiple model years, or any combination of these factors.

[3] There were five CPSC recall notices that included golf carts alongside OHVs. The CPSC recall notices did not separate the total units of the OHV products from the golf cart products. Therefore this total includes some units of golf carts.

See Appendix below for the full list of OHV recalls we have cataloged.

The post An Analysis of OHV Recalls: Increasing Number of OHVs Pulled from Market due to Safety Concerns appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

For every recall issued, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates the number of impacted vehicles, the reason for the recall, and the number of deaths and injuries if any.

• Of the 110 recalls analyzed, the CPSC estimates that 1,474,093 vehicles were sold to consumers and subsequently recalled.
• Of the 110 recalls, fire related hazards accounted for the most recalls, 50 recalls (or 45%). Throttle and brake hazards came in second and third with 15 and 11 recalls respectively. Together, these top three hazards represent nearly three-quarters of hazards that led to recalls (69%).
• Injuries and deaths were involved in nearly a quarter of the OHV recalls. Out of the 110 we analyzed, 24 recalls involved at least one injury. Tragically, the most serious involved two deaths: one in 2017, in which the OHV rolled over and did not have seatbelts, resulting in the death of a 14 year old, and another in 2016, in which an OHV caught fire and rolled over resulting in the death of a 15 year old.

CFA also analyzed the brands of the recalled vehicles. Polaris had the most recalls of the 110 we have analyzed, 40 recalls; over triple that of the brand with the second most recalls. Kawasaki and BRP/Can-Am had the second and third highest number of recalls, 12 and 9 respectively. “It is imperative that the CPSC investigate why so many recalls are caused by fire risks and work with manufacturers to prevent these risks before these vehicles enter the market,” stated Rachel Weintraub, legislative director and general counsel with Consumer Federation of America.

In 2019, CFA documented five unilateral recalls that were issued exclusively by the manufacturer, in these cases, Polaris. These “Stop Sale/Stop Ride Notices” were not issued as voluntary corrective actions with the CPSC and the CPSC did not issue a press release to communicate the action to the public. “We are concerned about these unilateral actions and hope that this will not become a trend,” stated Rachel Weintraub. “Enforcement actions should involve the CPSC and should be deemed recalls so that consumers know what they are and find out about them,” Weintraub said.

Fatality Numbers by Year and OHV Type

 By tracking news reports and analyzing National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data, CFA’s OHV Safety Coalition documents OHV deaths. Between January 1, 2013 and February 3, 2020, CFA and its partners have documented over 4,100 deaths involving OHVs (4,102 total). Of these, 720 involved children age 16 or younger (17.55%). Unfortunately, these numbers may continue to rise as we gather more data and as government data is released.

CFA’s OHV Safety Coalition’s analysis of OHV deaths includes detailed breakdowns of fatalities, tracking data such as: vehicle type, fatality location, age of the deceased, gender of the deceased, and whether the fatality occurred on-, or off-road.

• In 2019, CFA identified 484 OHV fatalities. Of these, 312 involved an ATV, 155 involved an ROV, 15 involved UTVs, and two fatalities did not specify vehicle type. CFA is still collecting data for 2019, so these numbers may continue to rise once additional government data is released.
• In 2018, CFA identified 462 OHV fatalities. Of these, 300 involved an ATV, 150 involved an ROV, and two involved UTVs. There were also 10 fatalities that did not identify the vehicle type. These numbers may rise once additional government data is released.
• In 2017, CFA identified 635 OHV fatalities. Of these, 460 involved ATVs, 147 involved ROVs, and 13 involved UTVs. There were 15 fatalities which did not include vehicle type.
• In 2016, CFA identified 679 OHV fatalities, the highest number for any year we have documented. Of these deaths, 514 involved ATVs, 120 involved ROVs, and 15 involved UTVs. There were 30 fatalities for which neither CFA nor government data could identify the vehicle type.

“The data collected by CFA’s OHV Safety Coalition identifies that in 2019, more deaths were caused by ROVs than in any other year,” stated Rachel Weintraub. “The CPSC does not issue annual death and injury data associated with ROVs, but they should. This data is critical to understanding the impact of ROVs on public health and safety.”

The post A Decade of Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Recall Analysis: Over 100 Recalls in 10 Years appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

In addition, CFA analysis of CPSC OHV recall reports from January 1, 2010 through February 3, 2020 found that 19 brands[1] were involved in the recalls, and the brand with the most recalls (over triple that of the brand with the second most recalls) was Polaris.[2] CPSC reports identified at least 70 injuries and two deaths linked to OHVs that were subsequently recalled. Also, nearly one and a half million[3] OHVs were estimated to be sold and subsequently recalled.

Recall Volume by Brand and Year

From January 1, 2010 through February 3, 2020, a total of 110 recall notices were identified. Nineteen brands were involved in the notices, and the brand that had the most recall notices during the period was Polaris. Figure 1, below, shows the number of OHV recalls during the report period. In 2017, there were a total of 24 recalls—the highest number of recalls in a single year during the period analyzed. In 2019, there were 16 recalls. In 2018, there were 17 recalls and in 2016, there were 16 recalls. In 2011, there was one recall, but the following year the number of recalls increased to nine, a nine-fold increase, which was the highest increase, between years, for the time period analyzed by CFA.

The OHV recalls involve 19 different brands. Figure 2, below, shows that Polaris had the most recalls, 40, while Kawasaki had the second highest number of recalls, 12. BRP/Can-Am had the third highest number of recalls, nine.

*Arctic Cat issued three recall notices under the name Arctic Cat on March 2014, July 2015, and August 2016. In October 2017 and November 2017, Arctic Cat issued a recall but under the name Textron. According to Textron’s website, Textron announced it purchased Arctic Cat in March 2017. For the purposes of this analysis, the Textron recall for Arctic Cat was included under the name Arctic Cat.

**Different CPSC recall notices for Bad Boy Buggies differ on who is issuing the recall. On January 2017, Textron issued a recall for Bad Boy Buggies, and it was listed as the manufacturer of Bad Boy Buggies in the CPSC recall notice. On April 2014 and December 2011, Bad Boy Buggies issued two recalls for UTVs alongside E-Z-GO. E-Z-GO issued the two recalls for golf carts. Both Bad Boy Buggies and E-Z-GO are manufactured by Textron, according to the CPSC recall notices. For the purposes of this analysis, the recalls issued under Textron and E-Z-GO for Bad Boy Buggy products are included under the name Bad Boy Buggies.

In 2019, we included five actions as recalls but these actions are unilateral actions by the manufacturer, Polaris, that were deemed “Stop Sale/Stop Ride Notices.” One of these notices was issued in June 2019, two notices were issued in October of 2019, and two were issued in December of 2019. These “Stop Sale/Stop Ride Notices” did not involve the CPSC and the CPSC did not communicate these actions to the public. These “Stop Sale/ Stop Ride Notices involved 92,353 vehicles in total and were recalled for a number of reasons including: seat belts not functioning properly; fire hazards, including: incorrect fuel line routing, fuel rail fasteners being improperly torqued, damage to fuel lines in the event of a drive belt failure; and a clutch inlet duct not being removed prior to shipping. While Polaris did not include any information about injuries in these notices, Polaris did include that four incidents occurred where the drive belt failed and damage to the fuel line resulted, and five incidents occurred where the clutch inlet duct created a fire hazard.

Recalls Driven by Fire, Throttle, and Steering Hazards

There are numerous reasons why OHVs have been recalled, and CFA was able to identify some patterns. For example, looking at the entire period, the cause of the most recalls is fire hazards. Fire related hazards accounted for 50 recalls (45%). The second most common hazard indicated in the OHV recall notifications related to throttle issues which accounted for 15 of the 110 recalls or 14%. The third most common hazard identified as the cause of OHV recalls involved steering related issues which made up 11 recalls (10%). These top three hazards represent nearly three-quarters of hazards that led to recalls (69%).

Fire related hazards include issues such as fuel hoses leaking, exhaust pipes cracking, firewalls failing, melting of components, and other fuel related-issues. Issues related to the throttle include the throttle failing to return to idle or failing in some way. Examples of steering related issues include the steering shaft breaking and the electronic power steering unit malfunctioning.

Injuries and Deaths

Injuries and deaths were involved in nearly one quarter of all of the OHV recalls. Out of the 110 recalls analyzed, 24 recalls (22%) involved at least one injury. Tragically, the most serious involved two deaths. The most recent death occurred in January 2017 and involved the rollover of an OHV that was subsequently recalled because it did not have seatbelts, resulting in the death of a 14-year-old passenger. The second death occurred in April 2016 on an OHV that caught fire (the specific part of the vehicle that caught fire was not identified) and then rolled over, resulting in the death of a 15-year-old passenger.

There were 70 injuries included in the recall notices. The CPSC did not always identify the severity of the injuries, but of the 70 injuries included, there were at least two severe injuries. One individual suffered a serious leg injury after a rollover incident (the vehicle in this incident was part of the same recall as the January 2017 death above). And the second severe injury included a young child who suffered severe burns after an ROV caught fire (this recall noted that an additional five people suffered burn injuries but did not label them severe).

1,474,093 Vehicles Subsequently Recalled were Sold

For every recall issued, the CPSC estimates the number of impacted vehicles sold. For the 110 recalls analyzed, the CPSC estimates that 1,474,093 vehicles subsequently recalled were sold. The recalls that involved the largest number of OHVs were two Polaris recalls, one John Deere recall, and one American Honda recall. The Polaris RZR ROV recall impacted approximately 133,000 vehicles, in April 2016, and was due to the risk of the vehicle catching fire and involved the largest number of vehicles recalled during the period analyzed.

The second Polaris RZR ROV recall, due to heat shield problems, occurred in April 2018 and impacted approximately 107,000 vehicles, the second highest number of recalls. The American Honda ROV recall impacted 82,000 vehicles in June 2019 due to the throttle pedal sticking in the open position and involved the third highest number of recalls. The John Deere Crossover Gator UTV recall impacted 68,300 vehicles in December 2017 due to steering shaft problems and involved the fourth highest number of recalls.

Investigation into Cause of Increasing Recalls Needed

OHVs are powerful vehicles that can pose safety risks to OHV drivers and passengers even during seemingly low risk conditions. But when drivers are unwittingly using defective OHVs, the safety risk increases even more. More defective vehicles being used means more potential injuries and deaths.

OHV companies must do everything necessary to ensure the safety of their products. While we applaud companies for taking responsibility and recalling their products, problems should be identified before the products enter the marketplace and pose risks to consumers. We urge companies to continue to voluntarily recall products with the CPSC and not unilaterally take actions that are not recalls. This analysis identified that more OHV recalls have been occurring more recently. These recalled OHVs have been involved in incidents resulting in at least two deaths and 70 injuries. The CPSC must investigate why the number of OHV recalls are increasing and take steps, along with OHV manufacturers, to prevent these tragedies and improve the safety of these vehicles.

Appendix: Links to CPSC OHV Recall Reports

From January 1, 2010 through February 3, 2020
Note: if indicated by an asterisk, that action was a unilateral action taken by the company.

[1] Brand, is used to denote the type of OHV being recalled. While the brand is sometimes synonymous with the manufacturer, it is sometimes the name of an OHV produced by a manufacturer of a different name. In some instances, it is not clear from the recall notice who the manufacturer is.

[2] A single CPSC recall notice can include a single model or multiple models, as well as a single model year or multiple model years, or any combination of these factors.

[3] There were five CPSC recall notices that included golf carts alongside OHVs. The CPSC recall notices did not separate the total units of the OHV products from the golf cart products. Therefore this total includes some units of golf carts.

The post An Analysis of OHV Recalls: Increasing Number of OHVs Pulled from Market due to Safety Concerns appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

A Consumer Federation of America (CFA) analysis of off highway vehicle (OHV) recalls found that over the past nine years, there have been 97 OHV recalls, and the number of recalls has increased from two recalls in 2010 to 18 recalls in 2018, and currently eight in 2019. OHVs include all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs), and utility task vehicles (UTVs). CFA’s analysis of U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) OHV recall reports since 2010 found that the highest number of recalls occurred during the past three years, from January 1, 2016 through January 1, 2019.

In addition, CFA analysis of CPSC OHV recall reports from January 1, 2010 through July 29, 2019 found that 19 brands[1] were involved in the recalls, and the brand with the most recalls was Polaris.[2] CPSC reports identified at least 71 injuries and two deaths linked to OHVs that were subsequently recalled. Also, more than one million[3] OHVs were estimated to be sold and subsequently recalled.

Recall Volume by Brand and Year

From January 1, 2010 through July 29, 2019, a total of 97 recall notices were identified. Nineteen brands were involved in the notices, and the brand that had the most recall notices during the period was Polaris. Figure 1, below, shows the number of OHV recalls during the report period. In 2017, there were a total of 24 recalls—the highest number of recalls in a single year during the period analyzed. In 2019, thus far, there have been eight recalls. In 2018, there were 17 recalls and in 2016, there were 14 recalls. In 2011, there was one recall, but the following year the number of recalls increased to nine, a nine-fold increase, which was the highest increase, between years, for the time period analyzed by CFA.

The OHV recalls involve 19 different brands. Figure 2, below, shows that Polaris had the most recalls, 30, while Kawasaki had the second highest number of recalls, eleven. BRP/Can-Am had the third highest number of recalls, nine.

*Arctic Cat issued three recall notices under the name Arctic Cat on March 2014, July 2015, and August 2016. In October 2017 and November 2017, Arctic Cat issued a recall but under the name Textron. According to Textron’s website, Textron announced it purchased Arctic Cat in March 2017. For the purposes of this analysis, the Textron recall for Arctic Cat was included under the name Arctic Cat.

**Different CPSC recall notices for Bad Boy Buggies differ on who is issuing the recall. On January 2017, Textron issued a recall for Bad Boy Buggies, and it was listed as the manufacturer of Bad Boy Buggies in the CPSC recall notice. On April 2014 and December 2011, Bad Boy Buggies issued two recalls for UTVs alongside E-Z-GO. E-Z-GO issued the two recalls for golf carts. Both Bad Boy Buggies and E-Z-GO are manufactured by Textron, according to the CPSC recall notices. For the purposes of this analysis, the recalls issued under Textron and E-Z-GO for Bad Boy Buggy products are included under the name Bad Boy Buggies.

Recalls Driven by Fire, Throttle, and Steering Hazards

There are numerous reasons why OHVs have been recalled, and CFA was able to identify some patterns. For example, looking at the entire period, the cause of the most recalls is fire hazards. Fire related hazards accounted for 43 recalls (44%). The second most common hazard indicated in the OHV recall notifications related to throttle issues which accounted for 12 of the 97 recalls or 11%. The third most common hazard identified as the cause of OHV recalls involved steering related issues which made up 11 recalls (11%). These top three hazards represent nearly 70% of all hazards that led to recalls (66%).

Fire related hazards include issues such as fuel hoses leaking, exhaust pipes cracking, and other fuel related-issues. Issues related to the throttle include the throttle failing to return to idle and the throttle cable melting. Examples of steering related issues include the steering shaft breaking and the electronic power steering unit malfunctioning.

Injuries and Deaths

Injuries and deaths were involved in more than one quarter of the OHV recalls. Out of the 97 recalls analyzed, 25 recalls (25%) involved at least one injury. Tragically, the most serious involved two deaths. The most recent death occurred in January 2017 and involved the rollover of an OHV that was subsequently recalled because it did not have seatbelts, resulting in the death of a 14-year-old passenger. The second death occurred in April 2016 on an OHV that caught fire (the specific part of the vehicle that caught fire was not identified) and then rolled over, resulting in the death of a 15-year-old passenger.

There were 71 injuries included in the recall notices. The CPSC did not always identify the severity of the injuries, but of the 71 injuries included, there were at least two severe injuries. One individual suffered a serious leg injury after a rollover incident (the vehicle in this incident was part of the same recall as the January 2017 death above). And the second severe injury included a young child who suffered severe burns after an ROV caught fire (this recall noted that an additional five people suffered burn injuries but did not label them severe).

1,260,298 Vehicles Subsequently Recalled were Sold

For every recall issued, the CPSC estimates the number of impacted vehicles sold. For the 97 recalls analyzed, the CPSC estimates that 1,260,298 vehicles subsequently recalled were sold. The recalls that involved the largest number of OHVs were two Polaris recalls, one John Deere recall, and one American Honda recall. The Polaris RZR ROV recall impacted approximately 133,000 vehicles, in April 2016, and was due to the risk of the vehicle catching fire and involved the largest number of vehicles recalled during the period analyzed.

The second Polaris RZR ROV recall, due to heat shield problems, occurred in April 2018 and impacted approximately 107,000 vehicles, the second highest number of recalls. The American Honda ROV recall impacted 82,000 vehicles in June 2019 due to the throttle pedal sticking in the open position and involved the third highest number of recalls. The John Deere Crossover Gator UTV recall impacted 68,300 vehicles in December 2017 due to steering shaft problems and involved the fourth highest number of recalls.

Investigation into Cause of Increasing Recalls Needed

OHVs are powerful vehicles that can pose safety risks to OHV drivers and passengers even during seemingly low risk conditions. But when drivers are unwittingly using defective OHVs, the safety risk increases even more. More defective vehicles being used means more potential injuries and deaths.

OHV companies must do everything necessary to ensure the safety of their products. While we applaud companies for taking responsibility and recalling their products, problems should be identified before the products enter the marketplace and pose risks to consumers. This analysis identified that more OHV recalls have been occurring more recently. These recalled OHVs have been involved in incidents resulting in at least two deaths and 71 injuries. The CPSC must investigate why the number of OHV recalls are increasing and take steps, along with OHV manufacturers, to prevent these tragedies and improve the safety of these vehicles.

Appendix: Links to CPSC OHV Recall Reports
From January 1, 2010 through July 29, 2019

[1] Brand, is used to denote the type of OHV being recalled. While the brand is sometimes synonymous with the manufacturer, it is sometimes the name of an OHV produced by a manufacturer of a different name.  In some instances, it is not clear from the recall notice who the manufacturer is.

[2] A single CPSC recall notice can include a single model or multiple models, as well as a single model year or multiple model years, or any combination of these factors.

[3] There were five CPSC recall notices that included golf carts alongside OHVs. The CPSC recall notices did not separate the total units of the OHV products from the golf cart products. Therefore this total includes some units of golf carts.

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CFA and its OHV Safety Coalition have been documenting OHV deaths since 2013 by compiling, analyzing, and publicizing available data and findings from relevant newspaper and government resources. From 2013 through 2018, CFA and the OHV Safety Coalition documented over 450 deaths during the month of July. For the entire time period, CFA has documented over 3,400 deaths. While these numbers are high, these findings are not yet complete and the number of deaths will likely increase as additional information becomes available.

The chart below shows that from 2013-2018, OHV fatalities peaked during the month of July, with 472 fatalities. OHV fatalities are also broken into three categories: on-road fatalities, off-road fatalities, and fatalities that occurred in an unknown location. Of the 472 fatalities that occurred in July, 305 (65%) occurred on-road, 142 (30%) occurred off-road, and 25 (5%) occurred in an unknown location.

In total, from 2013-2018, CFA documented 3,487 deaths. Of those deaths, 2,157 (62%) occurred on-road, 1,164 (33%) occurred off-road, and 166 (5%) occurred in an unknown location.

CFA data from 2013 through 2018 shows that the most fatalities for all people, children 16 and under, and adults, occurred on July 4^th. Of the 46 recorded deaths on July 4^th between 2013-2018, 11 were children aged 16 or younger (24%). On no other day of the year were there double digit deaths for children age 16 or younger. Additionally, of the 25 days of the year with five or more deaths of children 16 or younger, seven days were in the month of July (28%). On average, 18% of fatalities recorded were children age 16 or younger.

“July 4^th is the day with the most OHV deaths. We urge all OHV riders to prioritize safety so that this statistic will not be a reality again in 2019,” stated Rachel Weintraub, Legislative Director and General Counsel for CFA. “Operators of OHVs must have the necessary skills to operate an OHV, should use appropriate safety equipment, such as helmets, should never operate on roads, and never carry passengers.”

“All OHVs, even youth models, pose risks. OHVs are fast, complex machines, and due to their design, they roll over easily. One wrong choice could lead to the emergency department or worse. Children younger than 16 years just aren’t ready for the demands of safe riding, so we encourage parents to find a different activity for their child,” said Dr. Gary Smith, President, Child Injury Prevention Alliance.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released its most recent fatality and injury report related to ATVs in February 2019. The CPSC received reports of 295 ATV fatalities in 2017. In 2017, CFA data included 509 ATV fatalities. The CPSC is continuing to collect ATV fatality data. The CPSC does not collect annual ROV or OHV data and CFA has urged the CPSC to collect and publicly release annual ROV data.

CFA has been working to minimize deaths and injuries from OHVs for decades by petitioning the CPSC to ban adult-size ATVs for children, by convening a coalition to prevent OHV road access, and with that coalition, by compiling fatality information in real time, and by urging the CPSC to collect annual ROV data among other requests to take steps to reduce OHV deaths and injuries.

CFA urges consumers to take the following six critical steps in order 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 or 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.

Our partners at Prevent Child Injury have issued an important ATV safety toolkit available at https://www.preventchildinjury.org/toolkits/atv-safety aimed specifically at helping parents learn about the risks of children using ATVs.

CFA and the OHV Safety Coalition collect fatality data from news reports, game or natural resource crash investigations, state crash investigations, as well as data from the CPSC, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). CFA data is likely an underestimate of actual fatalities and CFA consistently updates the data as more information is obtained. CFA makes this data available on our website.

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“CFA strongly supports efforts by the CPSC to issue annual ROV death and injury data. We applaud Commissioner Kaye’s amendment to improve ROV safety data and we were profoundly disappointed that a data-driven agency would reject an effort to improve data on a product that has been gaining popularity and that has been subject to numerous recalls,” stated Rachel Weintraub, legislative director and general counsel with Consumer Federation of America.

“Due to the CPSC’s lack of data, CFA has been tracking real time death data for ROVs and other off-highway vehicles (OHVs), has released a blog on the increasing number of OHV recalls, and last January sent a letter to the CPSC urging the Agency to provide clear information to consumers about ROVs that are catching fire, as mentioned in a December 2017 joint statement from CPSC and Polaris regarding specific models of Polaris ROVs.”

CFA documented 118 ROV deaths in 2016, 130 in 2017, and thus far in 2018, 119 deaths. CFA data are likely an underestimate of actual fatalities and CFA consistently updates the data as more information is obtained.

“Vastly more information is needed about ROVs, rather than less. Today’s decision by the Commission is a roadblock for safety, data collection, and transparency,” concluded Weintraub.

Contact: Rachel Weintraub (202) 939-1012

The post Effort to Improve Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Death and Injury Data Rejected by US CPSC appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

Riding all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), also known as 4-wheelers, is a popular summertime activity for amateurs and enthusiasts alike. Whether you’re an experienced ATV rider or a novice, there are some important safety tips to keep in mind every time you ride. If you’re a parent considering allowing your child to ride an ATV, make sure they know and follow these tips to keep them safe.

Our partners at Prevent Child Injury have recently issued an important ATV safety toolkit aimed specifically at helping parents learn about the risks of children using ATVs. Using the toolkit and the tips below can reduce the chances of a crash, ensuring all riders have a safe and healthy summer.

Know the Risks

ATV models made for adults can weigh hundreds of pounds and can travel at dangerously high speeds. Handling them requires considerable strength and good reflexes and the ability to make decisions in a split second. Unfortunately with ATVs, one wrong choice can lead to a trip to the emergency room or worse.

Children who are less than 16 years old don’t have the strength and maturity to handle adult-size ATVs. Youth-model ATVs are available but they can also pose risks and can go at speeds children can’t handle. Unlike a car, there are no seat belts or doors, so one bounce on rough terrain can throw a driver off the ATV or cause the ATV to roll over, crushing the driver underneath.

There is another group of off-highway vehicles (OHVs) called side-by-sides that include higher speed recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs) and lower speed utility task vehicles (UTVs). All of these vehicles are made for multiple riders and have a steering wheel and foot brakes. ROVs have a rollover protection structure (ROPS) and seat belts. These vehicles can easily rollover on inclines and during turns. Unbelted riders can be thrown from the vehicle with terrible results.

The Deadly Summer Months

Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and its OHV Safety Coalition have been documenting OHV deaths since 2013. Using media reports and government data, the Coalition compiles and documents information on fatalities, and makes its findings publicly available.

From 2013 through 2017, CFA has documented over 3,000 ATV deaths, and July was the month with the most fatalities, more than 400. In fact, the day with the highest number of ATV fatalities is July 4th. August and May follow as the second and third most dangerous months for OHV riders.

Kids and ATVs: Is It Worth the Risk?

Kids—including teens—are not small adults. Their brains haven’t fully formed yet, so they make lots of mistakes. They can’t always accurately judge the risk they are in or what they need to do to keep themselves or others safe, especially on powerful machines. Children are also often tempted to push the limits of what they know is allowed and frequently have trouble controlling impulses.

This is why the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children and teens younger than 16 years of age should not be on ATVs.

This isn’t just crying wolf: on average, 79 children younger than 16 are killed using ATVs every year. Tens of thousands of children are injured severely enough to be seen in the emergency room, meaning these kids are suffering more than just bumps and bruises.

Rules to Ride By

Right Size Vehicle: Never let kids 15 years old and younger operate ATVs, ROVs, and UTVs.

Drive with Caution: Mistakes happen, and on ATVs, they happen fast. If they are operating youth OHVs, choose a model recommended for your child’s age and make sure they know and follow all other safety rules.

Off-Road Only: Only ride ATVs and operate other OHVs off the road, never on public roads of any type.

Keep Count: Never allow more people on or in an OHV than it was designed to carry. Most ATVs are designed for a single rider (no passengers). ROVs should only have as many riders as seat belts can secure.

Safety Gear Protects: Always wear a helmet certified by the Department of Transportation, ANSI, or the Snell Foundation when riding on an ATV.  For ATVs, other protective clothing is strongly advised, such as boots, gloves, goggles, and long pants and sleeves. Always wear a helmet in UTVs if they don’t have a ROPS and seat belts, and helmets are still a good idea when riding in ROVs. Always use safety belts when available in the vehicle. Never operate any OHV under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Don’t ride after dark, even if the vehicle has lights, because it’s really hard to see terrain features that could cause a crash. Keep speeds low.

Start Off Right: Enroll yourself and your child in a hands-on training course.

Setting the Example: Parents should set and enforce the safety rules. The easiest way to ensure the rules are followed is to supervise children and teens allowed to operate ATVs (but not on the same vehicle). Setting a good example by following the rules is the best way parents can teach safety to their children.

As an adult rider, you want to avoid a crash and be protected if you can’t. As a parent, you want to protect your kids and yourself, best done by recognizing the risks and doing everything possible to prevent family fun from turning into a heartbreak that never ends.

The post Ride Safe This Summer: Follow These ATV Safety Tips appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

CFA and its OHV Safety Coalition have been documenting OHV deaths since 2013. Using media reports and government data, the Coalition compiles and documents information on fatalities, and makes its findings publicly available. From 2013 through 2017, the Coalition documented over 400 deaths in July.  For the entire time period, CFA has documented over 3,000 deaths. While these numbers are high, these data are not yet complete and will likely increase as additional information becomes available. OHVs are comprised of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), recreational off-highway vehicles (ROVs), and utility task vehicles (UTVs).

The chart below shows that from 2013 through 2017, OHV fatalities peak during the month of July, with 417 fatalities. OHV fatalities are also broken into two categories: on-road fatalities and off-road fatalities. Of the 417 fatalities that occurred in July, 273 (65%) occurred on-road, 127 (30%) occurred off-road, and 22 (4%) occurred in an unknown location.

CFA data from 2013 through 2017 shows that most fatalities occur on July 4^th as compared to every other day of the year. CFA documented 3,023 deaths in total from 2013 through 2017. Of those deaths, 1,890 (63%) occurred on-road, 999 (33%) occurred off-road, and 134 (4%) occurred in an unknown location.

“Since July 4^th has been the most dangerous day of the year for OHV riders for the past five years, we urge all riders to prioritize safety so that this statistic will not be a reality again in 2018,” stated Rachel Weintraub, Legislative Director and General Counsel for CFA. “OHV riders must have the necessary skills to operate an OHV, should use appropriate safety equipment such as helmets, should never operate on roads, and should never carry passengers.”

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) released its most recent ATV fatality and injury report in December 2017. The CPSC received reports of 337 ATV fatalities in 2016. In 2016, CFA data included 515 ATV fatalities. The CPSC is continuing to collect ATV fatality data. The CPSC does not collect annual ROV or other OHV data, and CFA has urged the CPSC to collect and publicly release annual ROV data.

CFA has been working to minimize deaths and injuries from OHVs for decades, in large part by convening a coalition to prevent OHV road access, and with that coalition, compiling fatality information in real time. CFA has also petitioned the CPSC to ban adult-size ATVs for children, and urged the CPSC to collect annual ROV data, among other requests to the agency to take steps to reduce OHV deaths and injuries.

CFA urges OHV riders to follow these six critical steps to reduce 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.
• Always wear safety belts when available in the vehicle.
• 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.

Our partners at Prevent Child Injury have recently issued an important ATV safety toolkit aimed specifically at helping parents learn about the risks of children using ATVs.

“These machines weigh hundreds of pounds and can travel at high speeds. Decisions about risks often have to be made in a split second. Unfortunately with ATVs, one wrong choice can lead to a trip to the emergency department or worse. Because of this, we encourage parents to think twice before letting a child younger than 16 years old use an ATV,” said Dr. Gary Smith, President, Child Injury Prevention Alliance.

CFA and the OHV Safety Coalition collect fatality data from news reports, game or natural resource crash investigations, state crash investigations, as well as data from the CPSC, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). CFA data is likely an underestimate of actual fatalities and CFA consistently updates the data as more information is obtained. CFA makes this data publicly available on our website.

Contact: Rachel Weintraub, 202-939-1012

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“Too many families, thousands of families every year, are tragically impacted by ATV deaths and serious injuries. ATVs are one of the most dangerous products CPSC regulates, causing more deaths and injuries than almost any other product under CPSC’s jurisdiction,” stated Rachel Weintraub, Legislative Director and General Counsel for the Consumer Federation of America. “The data indicates that estimated injuries have increased since 2015 and deaths from ATVs have slightly decreased. The CPSC, ATV manufacturers, retailers, and all stakeholders should do much more to prevent these serious and sometimes life-altering incidents.”

“As a pediatrician, my number one job is to keep children safe and healthy. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents that ATVs are not safe for children and should not be used by any child under the age of 16,” said Colleen A. Kraft, MD, FAAP, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “However, children continue to drive and ride in these vehicles, and the injuries and deaths continue as a result. Children are not developmentally capable of operating these heavy, complex machines. We can and must do more to prevent these incidents in the first place and protect children from further harm.”

It is important to note that there is always a lag between the occurrence of ATV related deaths and the reports of those deaths making their way to the CPSC and therefore the 2013, 2014, and 2015 statistics should not be considered complete.

The CPSC released its 2016 Annual Report of ATV-Related Deaths and Injuries on December 26, 2017. Major findings include:

• Estimates of serious injuries requiring emergency room treatment among people of all ages increased from 97,200 in 2015 to 101,200 in 2016.
• The 2016 emergency department-treated injury estimate for all ages reflects an increase of 4 percent from the 2015 estimate, which is not statistically significant.
• Between 2007 and 2016, there is an overall decrease of 33 percent of estimated numbers of emergency department-treated injuries for children younger than 16. This is statistically significant.
• The estimated number of 4-wheel ATV-related fatalities for all ages decreased from 661 in 2014 to 647 in 2015. The agency notes, however, that the 2014, 2015, and 2016 data are not considered complete and will likely increase.
• In 2016, ATVs killed at least 53 children younger than 16, accounting for 16 percent of ATV fatalities. Forty-three percent of children killed were younger than 12 years old in 2016. 2016 ATV fatality data is considered incomplete.
• Children under age 16 suffered an estimated 26,800 serious injuries in 2016, an increase from 26,700 in 2015, which represented 26 percent of all injuries.
• Children under age 12 suffered an estimated 13,900 serious injuries in 2016, an increase from 13,400 in 2015.
• The 2016 emergency department-treated injury estimate for children younger than 16 years of age represents less than half a percent increase over the 2015 estimate, although this is not a statistically significant increase.

CPSC’s ATV data does not include recreational off- highway vehicle deaths and injuries. CFA tracks off-highway vehicle deaths, including recreational off-highway vehicles, and identified 509 in 2017. Of the 509 fatalities documented, it was possible to determine the vehicle type in 491 of those fatalities. Of those 491 fatalities, 130 or 26%, took place on a recreational off-highway vehicle—a significant amount of the total. Note that the data is not complete and these fatalities may continue to rise as CFA gathers more data. CFA urges the CPSC to begin tracking all off-highway vehicle deaths and injuries in one report.

In 2002, consumer groups filed a petition with the CPSC calling for the CPSC to ban the sale of adult-size ATVs for use by children. While the agency under the leadership of Chairman Hal Stratton denied the petition, the CPSC began a rulemaking process to create new ATV safety standards. On August 12, 2011, Congress passed H.R. 2715 which amended the CPSIA and 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. “CPSC’s data in the Annual Report of ATV-Related Deaths and Injuries is a critical source of information for those working to decrease ATV deaths and injuries,” stated Weintraub. “We urge CPSC to include information about how many ATV deaths and injuries took place on and off road.”

Both Consumer Federation of America and the AAP continue to call upon the agency to reject the manufacture of a transitional, “youth model” ATV for 14- to 16-year-olds that is capable of traveling at speeds up to 38 miles per hour.

The CPSC, industry, and many consumer advocates recommend that children ages 12 through 15 not ride ATVs with engines larger than 90 cc’s. The AAP recommends that no child under age 16 ride an ATV of any size.

Contact: Rachel Weintraub, CFA, 202-387-6121; Devin Miller, AAP, 202-724-3308

The Consumer Federation of America is an association of more than 250 non-profit consumer groups that, since 1968, has sought to advance the consumer interest through research, education, and advocacy.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 66,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. 

The post ATVs Are Dangerous to Children: New Data Demonstrates Continued Risk of Injury and Death appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.

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Read CFA Analysis of OHV Recalls

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“We did this analysis to understand whether there were more OHV recalls more recently and why these recalls are occurring,” stated Rachel Weintraub, legislative director and general counsel of Consumer Federation of America. “We found that more OHV recalls have been occurring more recently.”

The CFA analysis found that in 2017 there were a total of 20 recalls—the highest number of recalls in a single year during the period analyzed. In 2016, there were 14 recalls, and in 2015 there were 10 recalls, the second and third highest number of recalls in a single year during the period analyzed. In total, CFA identified 68 recalls in the period studied.

While OHVs have been recalled for numerous reasons, CFA identified some patterns. For example, looking at the entire period, the top three hazards responsible for the recalls were broadly related to fuel, steering, and throttle issues.

Of the 68 recalls:

• Fuel-related hazards were the most common reason for a recall, resulting in 15 recalls (22%).
• Steering hazards were the second most common, resulting in 9 recalls (13%).
• Throttle hazards were the third most common hazard, resulting in 8 recalls (12%).

These three hazards represent nearly half of all hazards that led to 47% of the recalls analyzed. The 68 recalls also involved at least 61 injuries and at least two deaths.

“We urge the CPSC to investigate why the number of OHV recalls are increasing and take steps, along with OHV manufacturers, to prevent these tragedies and improve the safety of these vehicles.”

Contact: Rachel Weintraub, 202-939-1012

The post Increasing Number of Off-Highway Vehicles Recalled Due to Safety Concerns appeared first on Consumer Federation of America.