Washington, D.C. (RELEASE) December 8th, 2023 — U.S. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) joined U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) in sending a letter to U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Chair Alexander Hoehn-Saric expressing concern regarding the CPSC’s proposed rule to prevent debris penetration into off-highway vehicles and requests the CPSC withdraw the rulemaking package. This rule would create unnecessary red tape and raise the cost of vehicles that ranchers across Wyoming use every day to run their business.

“The last thing hardworking Wyoming ranchers need is another cost increase from Washington,” said Lummis. “To add insult to injury, the CPSC’s own study found no evidence there was any need for additional safety features on off-road vehicles. This entire regulation sums up the Biden administration – incompetent big government creating an unnecessary cost increase for people in Wyoming.”

Click here to read the letter.

Background:

Offroad vehicles affected by this regulation are used by law enforcement, emergency services, firefighters and many people in Wyoming who responsibly enjoy outdoor recreation. 

Between 2009 and 2021, the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) identifies only 107 incidents of debris penetration which resulted in 6 fatalities and 22 injuries ranging from mostly minor cuts and bruises to broken bones. This is despite the fact that off-highway vehicles are actually intended to be driven in environments in which a vehicle is expected to encounter sticks or branches. In the 12-year period identified by the NPRM, tens of millions of off-highway vehicles were driven and many hundreds of millions of miles were traveled. Based on the CPSC’s own data, it is unclear whether the current risk of injury and death associated with debris penetration is unreasonable.