196

INDUSTRY FOOT - DRAGGING

FRUSTRATING ? TERRIBLY . UNNECESSARY ? OBVIOUSLY . FOR AL THOUGH THE COMMISSION IS HAMSTRUNG BY ITS STATUTE , NOTHING AT ALL PREVENTS THE ATV MANUFACTURERS FROM ACTING IMMEDIATELY TO CALL A HALT TO ANY MORE NEEDLESS TRAGEDIES . YET EVEN THE VERY REAL PROSPECT IN YEARS TO COME OF MONUMENTAL LIABILITY TO THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF UNSUSPECTING VICTIMS DOESN ' T MOTIVATE THIS INDUSTRY TO CUT THEIR LOSSES NOW , AND CPSC ' S REPEATED URGINGS FOR PROMPT ACTION TO IMPROVE THE DYNAMIC STABILITY AND HANDLING OF THESE VEHICLES , AND TO SET REALISTIC AGE GUIDELINES FOR USE , HAS BEEN MET WITH ONLY A LUKEWARM RESPONSE . MANY IN THE INDUSTRY SEEM TO IGNORE ALL THE EVIDENCE AND CLAIM THAT THE FAULT IS ENTIRELY IN THE USER AND NOT IN THE DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE OF THE VEHICLE

AS A COMMISSION , WE MET WITH THIS INDUSTRY BACK IN OCTOBER 1984 AND REQUESTED THAT THE FIRMS MOVE BEYOND ONGOING EFFORTS TO TRAIN AND EDUCATE RIDERS , AND LOOK INSTEAD AT THE VEHICLE ITSELF . MONTHS PASSED , AS THE INDUSTRY TRADE ASSOCIATION , THE SPECIALTY VEHICLE INSTITUTE OF AMERICA ( SVIA ) PROUDLY UNVEILED ITS NEW , IMPROVED INFORMATION AND EDUCATION CAMPAIGN . THIS MUCH - HERALDED EFFORT , HOWEVER WELL - INTENTIONED , WAS WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT EVEN BEFORE IT GOT OFF THE GROUND . THE PLAN CALLED FOR TRAINING SOME 40 , 000 RIDERS THIS YEAR , WHILE AT LEAST 1 . 8 MILLION VEHICLES ARE ALREADY IN USE AND SO MANY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS MORE ANTICIPATED , AND FOR EACH SALE , FOR EACH NEW SHINY ATV THAT COMES INTO A NEIGHBORHOOD , HOW MANY YOUNGSTERS AND OTHERS FLOCK TO THE SCENE TO ' GIVE IT A WHIRL " ? 3 ? 5 ? 7 ? 10 ?