[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 248 (Thursday, December 26, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Page 78776]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-32596]


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CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION


Petition Requesting Ban of All-Terrain Vehicles Sold for Use by 
Children Under 16 Years Old; Extension of Comment Period

AGENCY: Consumer Product Safety Commission.

ACTION: Notice of extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: The Commission is extending its comment period to receive 
information concerning a petition asking the Commission to ban the sale 
of adult-size four wheel all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) sold for the use 
of children under 16 years of age. Seven manufacturers and distributors 
of ATVs requested a 60-day extension of the comment period. The 
Commission has decided to extend the comment period 90 days after the 
original comment period of December 17, 2002, in order to allow 
sufficient time for comments related to an ATV study that the 
Commission staff is currently preparing.

DATES: The Office of the Secretary should receive comments on the 
petition by March 16, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Comments, preferably in five copies, on the petition should 
be mailed to the Office of the Secretary, Consumer Product Safety 
Commission, Washington, DC 20207, telephone (301) 504-0800, or 
delivered to the Office of the Secretary, Room 502, 4330 East-West 
Highway, Bethesda, Maryland 20814. Comments may also be filed by 
telefacsimile to (301) 504-0127 or by e-mail to [email protected]. 
Comments should be captioned ``Petition CP 02-4/HP 02-1, Petition on 
ATVs.'' A copy of the petition is available for inspection at the 
Commission's Public Reading Room, Room 419, 4330 East-West Highway, 
Bethesda, Maryland.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about submitting 
comments call or write to Rockelle Hammond, Office of the Secretary, 
Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, DC 20207; telephone 
(301) 504-0800, ext. 1232.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 18, 2002, the Commission 
published a notice announcing that it has docketed a petition asking 
that the Commission ban adult-size ATVs sold for the use of children 
under age 16 and requesting comments on the petition. 67 FR 64353. The 
petitioners assert that ATVs pose an unreasonable risk of injury and 
death to children, particularly to children under age 16 who ride 
adult-size ATVs. The October 18 Federal Register notice provided for a 
60-day comment period to end December 17, 2002. The Commission has 
received requests to extend the comment period from American Honda 
Motor Co., Inc., Arctic Cat, Inc., Bombardier Motor Corporation of 
America, Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A., Polaris Industries Inc., 
American Suzuki Motor Corporation, and Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A. 
These companies, all manufacturers and distributors of ATVs, noted that 
the Commission staff is preparing a study of ATV-related injuries. The 
companies requested a 60-day extension of the comment period to allow 
comment on issues that the study may raise that are relevant to the 
petition. After considering these requests, the Commission has decided 
to extend the comment period 90 days after the original comment period 
of December 17, 2002 to March 16, 2003. Because the study has not yet 
been released, the Commission was concerned that a 60-day extension may 
not be adequate to allow interested members of the public sufficient 
time to review the study and comment on any issues related to the 
petition.

    Dated: December 20, 2002.
Todd Stevenson,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 02-32596 Filed 12-24-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6355-01-P