Safety Panel Bans Lawn Darts and 3-Wheel ATVs

The Consumer Product Safety Commission voted today to ban lawn darts, which have been implicated in several recent deaths and injuries of children, and to extend a ban on three-wheel all-terrain vehicles.

The commission voted 2 to 0 to prohibit sale of lawn darts, a ban which could take effect as soon as December, before the Christmas shopping rush.

Commissioner Carol Dawson abstained from the vote, but issued a plea for adults who already have lawn darts in their homes to keep them out of the hands of children.

In the last 10 years, an estimated 150 to 200 youngsters have suffered severe injuries when these heavy darts struck and penetrated their skulls, the commission was told.

Action on the ban coincided with an unfolding drama in Nashville, where 11-year-old Amy Herrin remained comatose after undergoing eight hours of emergency surgery to remove a lawn dart from her skull.