On countless occasions the Government has ordered defective autos and trucks recalled. But last week the Justice Department, backed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, went a long step beyond that. In an unprecedented action, it outlawed future sales of an entire mode of transportation: three-wheel all- terrain vehicles.
The rugged gasoline-powered machines, which also come in four-wheel models, look something like a cross between a motorcycle and a dune buggy. Costing an average of $2,000, they can cruise up to 50 m.p.h. and negotiate some of the toughest terrain around, from sand dunes and rock-strewn hills to marshy lowlands. They are also exceedingly dangerous. Nearly 7,000 people are injured in ATV accidents each month, and an estimated 900 people have been killed over the past five years. Many of the victims are young children, who do not need a license to drive ATVs because they are designed for off-road use. The ATV manufacturers, which include Honda and Kawasaki, agreed to the ban but continue to insist that the bikes are safe if ridden properly.
As stern as the Government's action was, ATV critics are not satisfied. Consumer groups and some Congressmen contend that Washington should recall all of the 1.5 million three-wheel ATVs still in use in the U.S. and force manufacturers to give purchasers a refund. Says James Florio, Democratic Congressman from New Jersey: "How can anyone truly concerned with safety in effect say 'Tough luck' to people who currently own these unsafe vehicles?" Government officials defend their action, maintaining that a recall would cause a lengthy court battle.