233

ciate the opportunity to discuss the very complex issues involved with ATV safety .

Honda has been working with these vehicles for many years , and I think you will notice our formal testimony outlines and details the development of the all - terrain cycle . It also includes in there the various safety activities that we have undertaken . During the past 15 years , the ATC market has grown and changed dramatical ly , and with that a parallel change in the demographics of the ATV rider .

In the beginning and through about 1980 , the ATV appealed to the experienced off - road enthusiast , some of those motorcyclists . Consequently , we believe the accident rate was very low for the ve hicle . However , in recent years the changes within the market had been considerable . To meet the demand for the varied uses of this product , we have introduced a number of more specialized vehicles . And with the growth , there has also been an influx of many first time , inexperienced riders and , we believe , an increase in acci dents .

Also , I want to clearly state on behalf of American Honda , we are committed to reducing injuries in connection with any of our products , including ATC ' s . Even before the CPSC raised concerns ,

ready developed specialized safety brochures , safety films , videotapes . We had gone ahead with these programs to reach the new users and emphasize the safe use of the product .

Honda also helped form the Specialty Vehicle Institute of Amer ica , the SVIA , with the purpose of developing ATV training classes and courses . SVIA is a trade association modeled after the Motor cycle Safety Foundation , and that is a motorcycle trade organiza tion that we feel strongly has very successfully helped to reduce the accident and injuries through training and information paigns in the motorcycle market .

When CPSC brought to our attention its nationwide projection of injuries , we immediately committed to working with the agency to reduce this accident rate . We are cooperating fully with the CPSC ' s ATC task force , and the SVIA in the development of a voluntary standard ; also , working in the other areas of research for the fac tors surrounding ATC accidents and injuries .

However , I am concerned that we may push ahead to propose so lutions without taking time to develop the necessary data . The level of urgency that is being generated by the CPSC ' s preliminary statistics projections that identify an increase in the ATV - related injuries , and further , the statistics presented comparing injuries be tween ATV ' s , snowmobiles and off - road motorcycles and conclude there is a disproportionate increase in ATV injuries .

However , our market experience and the supporting data that we have indicates that the actual field circumstance may be very different than these preliminary figures indicate . At this early stage , the CPSC has not adjusted the data , the injury data , among the classes of products to allow for the fact ATV ' s are used year around ; and , in fact , in many rural and agricultural applications , the week around , 7 days a week , and while the off - road motorcycle is ridden primarily on weekends and through the summer months .

And ATV ' s , as we all know , is ridden only in the winter for a very short period the snowmobile , excuse me , the snowmobile . Ad

on cam