Consumer Product Safety Commission: Concerns about Staff Memorandum Relating to All-Terrain Vehicles

摘要

In a July 10, 1986, letter, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Health and the Environment, House Committee on Energy and Commerce, expressed concern about a June 13, 1986, Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) staff memorandum. The memorandum contained comparative injury data for all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and other off-road recreational vehicles indicating that ATVs are no more hazardous to riders than the other vehicles. Because the Chairman believed that the memorandum could play a crucial role in CPSC's decision on whether to regulate ATVs, GAO determined (1) the source and reliability of the vehicle usage data presented in the memorandum, (2) whether its conclusions are justified, (3) why it was prepared, and (4) whether its preparation was consistent with CPSC procedures.