So Long, Dirt-Bikes For Kids
The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s (CPSC) new law imposing strict guidelines on any product intended for children’s use goes into effect on February 10, 2009. Called the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, among other things, it would effectively ban the sales of small motorcycles and off-road vehicles intended for children under 12 years old due to the amounts of lead contained in its internal components.
A letter issued by the American Motorcyclist Association on Tuesday says:
…although the CPSC. has published proposed procedures for seeking exclusion from the lead limits, there is no practical way for manufacturers and distributors of ATV’s and off-highway motorcycles to seek and obtain exclusions prior to the February 10 effective date… Unless the CPSC. acts immediately to grant the manufacturers and distributers of motorcycles and ATV’s emergency relief and a temporary exclusion from the lead limits for certain applications, a severe and unwarranted disruption in the supply of youth-model vehicles will occur.
The Motorcycle Industry Council, a group representing manufacturers, called for an e-mail campaign to urge the commission to delay the rule’s implementation. The council has also filed a request for exemption to the new rules and signed a letter alongside other members of the National Association of Manufacturers requesting an emergency stay.
In a statement, Paul Vitrano, general counsel for the industry group, said, “There should be common-sense procedures for exclusions of parts, such as brakes, engines and suspensions, that do not present risk to children in the real world.”
On Monday, the American Motorcyclist Association, which represents riders, sent a letter to the commission in support of the industry’s requests. In addition to the difficulty faced by manufacturers and dealers, the association’s letter suggests that making smaller machines unavailable could lead to children riding machines that are too large.
