By SEMA Washington, D.C., Staff
SEMA is opposing an effort by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to establish a recreational off-highway vehicle (ROV) safety standard rather than rely on an industry standard issued by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). ROVs can attain speeds greater than 30 mph and are configured differently than all-terrain vehicles (ATVs). ROVs generally accommodate a side-by-side driver/passenger in a compartment equipped with roll bars. They include automotive-type controls for steering, throttle and braking.
SEMA maintains the industry standard is adequate and that the CPSC proposal will stifle future design innovation and does not properly address a number of technical issues. While moving forward with a proposed rule to regulate the products, the CPSC admits that it has insufficient data to estimate whether the rule would actually improve safety over current industry standard designs.
For more information, contact Stuart Gosswein at stuartg@sema.org.