Last week President Obama signed H.R. 2715 into law. The bill exempts kid's OHVs from the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of 2008, also known as the lead law.
Without the hard work of the AMA, various members of congress, and families across the United States, the sale and distribution of children's motorcycles would have been banned due to the CPSIA, which requires any product sold to children to meet new safety requirements. The CPSIA was meant to target shoddy toys, but motorcycles and ATVs got lumped up into the mess as well.
"Families across the nation are breathing a sigh of relief now that kids' off-highway vehicles (OHVs) have been exempted from the lead law that banned them," said Rob Dingman, AMA president and CEO. "Families are sharing their stories with us about how they enjoy responsible motorized recreation as a family, and how they thought their riding worlds were about to end.
"Many people worked very hard over the past several years to change the law, and the families were an important part of that effort. I tip my helmet to all of them."
Families around the country submitted videos to the Kids Just Want to Ride Campaign. The campaign proved that the majority of motorcycle riding families did not approve of the CPSIA.
Peggy Malcolm of Littleton, Colorado, was thrilled that her children, Erin, Adi, and Carter, would be able to continue to ride their motorcycles.
"It would have been devastating to my children and thousands more just like them if they were unable to ride, and it would have been a shame if the reason they couldn't ride was because 'our' government failed them," Malcolm said. "It's the kids who don't have these outlets that tend to get involved in things that result in living a not-so-positive and healthy lifestyle.
"Kids gain so much from riding -- no matter what level or for what reason -- whether it's recreationally or competitively. They learn self-discipline, sportsmanship, and responsibility. Riding builds confidence and with that, kids thrive."
