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INTRODUCTION

Mr . Chairman and Members of the Subcanmittee .

Thank you for the opportunity to express my personal views on the general subjects of the risks of injury and death associated with the use of all terrain vehicles ( ATVs ) , the actions the Commission should take to address those risks of injury , and whether the Commission ' s

past experiences have shown that information and education efforts

have been effective in adequately addressing consumer product safety problems . Each of these issues is discussed below .

As a preliminary matter , however , I must qualify my testimony concerning the hazards associated with ATVs and the appropriate Commission response inasmuch as the Commission ' s in - depth

investigation is at its inception .

In April 1985 , the Cammission

unanimously approved and implemented a comprehensive program of testing , information collection , and analysis aimed , in large part , at providing answers to a number of questions including , but not limited to : What risks are associated with the use of ATVS ? What are the factors / variables which cause or contribute to these risks ? What segments of the population are most at risk from use of ATVs ? Which , if any , of the identified hazards rise to the level of being " unreasonable risks of injury , " the statutory prerequisite to mandatory Commission action ? And , finally , for those risks that are " unreasonable , " what action ( s ) should the Commission take ?

Pending completion of the investigation and receipt of answers to those questions and others , I simply am not in a position to make definitive statements concerning risks associated with ATVs or , equally important , precisely what actions the Commission should ultimately take . While the current information certainly provides

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