Have you heard about that new 100 hp TURBO youth ATV coming out in a few months!??

If I disappoint you by admitting "not really", you might just want to get your head examined. Fact of the matter is- no matter how thrilling it may seem (to parent or rider), it's just plain insane to put that level of power and speed in the hands of a child who just learned the fine art of walking only a few years back.

The intention here is not to preach about the obvious, but shed some light on how our government bodies have seen fit to create regulations to keep the competitive spirit of the dozens of mini-quad manufacturers at bay, and to insure the enduring livelihood of our young riders. 

Although my turbocharged application is most-obviously far-fetched (for most of us), it does illustrate the notion that speed sells. How many times have you heard the criticism of a mini-quad (officially category 'Y' ATV) as "too slow", "can't get out of its own way", or "my PowerWheels is faster!"? Why don't they go faster? They'd sell more if they did! Reason is that currently there are speed limits set for youth ATVs that the manufacturers are obligated to follow.

Similarly you may have questioned, "Why in the world can't I buy a youth ATV with a front headlight? It just makes too much sense to have one!"? In this case too, it has been decided by the powers that be that youth ATVs shall not be equipped with operational headlights for reasons pertaining to safety (mouse-over).

There are good reasons for the above, although no doubt it didn't come easy, or easy to swallow in the end, or likely agreeable to most of us enthusiasts.

It all started in 1986 when after realizing that many people (nearly half were children under 16) where getting either seriously hurt or killed, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) orchestrated the "ATV Consent Decree". The decree laid out guidelines to the ATV manufacturers which required some fairly sobering actions. The 3-wheelers went the way of the dinosaur, and the manufacture of ATVs for the youth market was deemed taboo at best. So there started the 10 year lull in our beloved sport- no significantly new sport or youth designs by any of the big Japanese ATV makers were seen for nearly an entire decade.

Then, after 10 years, the decree expired. And, as if by coincidence, there were suddenly more kids' quads on the market than you could shake a stick at. The venerable Suzuki LT50 was back, along with literally dozens of Asian look-alikes trying their hand at the newly revitalized youth ATV market. 

Being the devil's advocate, you'd have to wonder exactly what is different today (as the injury rate for young riders again begins to climb) versus 15 years ago, when there were barely a handful of youth machines available. And when 60 Minutes sought boosted ratings by airing kids crashing into each other on ATVs. And when the federal regulatory commission, seeing more and more kids get hurt, decided to put the kibosh on the whole youth ATV sport. 

Well, let's hope it's that we're smarter. We- as in the CPSC, the manufacturers, the dealerships, and hopefully, the consumer. We know better how to design ATVs to maximize safety, we know how to teach our children to ride, and know better what the right size machines are for our kids. 

So, rather than necessitating a new decree to again cripple our kids' enjoyment of our endeared motorized sport, the manufacturers have obliged to voluntarily comply with regulations designed by a sizeable consortium of industry members. Not only was the CPSC involved, but manufacturers, distributors, dealers, consumer advocate groups, tire manufacturers, - anybody who had any vested interest in the ATV sport.

Together with the ATV Safety Institute of America (SVIA), and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the group created a collection of specifications for "Four Wheel All-Terrain Vehicles" that specified standards for equipment, configuration, and performance. Covered were speed limiting, lighting, suspension, brakes, controls layout, etc. The truly impressive feat in all this, is that it was agreed upon by consensus- all parties involved had to approve it!

So now, in an effort to keep the CPSC from breathing down their necks, any conscientious ATV manufacturer writes a "Letter of Agreement" to the CPSC and agrees to voluntarily comply with standards as per the ANSI spec. It's really not a law per se- manufacturers could build turbo'ed, nitrous-oxide injected pint-sized quads if they really wanted. However, without CPSC's "seal of approval", insurance would be nearly impossible (and cost prohibitive IF possible), and finding a distributor network would come with equally difficulty. Heaven forbid that someone get hurt on their machine... winning that law suit would be easier than spilling coffee in your lap.

But it doesn't end there- the CPSC is very strict in the operation of the individual dealerships as well. Helmets, free training, warning labels and hang tags, and a vigilance against selling adult machines to riders under 16 year old is all part of the grand plan. Should dealers ignore the age guidelines, the manufacturer and/or distributor can take action to retrain, fine, or even terminate a franchise with the offending dealership.

So, you see, big brother is actually taking care of us. Because at least statistically speaking, we haven't been able to manage it ourselves- at least a decade ago. Sure, you can probably buy a 400EX for your 12 year old by deceiving the dealer. And he may even be able to ride it, having ridden quads since he/she was 5. But there are unfortunately too many folks that'll saddle an inexperienced, unhelmeted child on a machine way too powerful and heavy for him. Someone has to protect those people from themselves.

Links:

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) 

ATV Safety Institute / Specialty Vehicle Institute of America (SVIA)