natchez &8212;The death of a Monterey youth in an ATV accident serves as reminder of the dangers associated with the popular off-road vehicles.

And though there are many rules, warnings and opportunities for training, industry and government officials are looking at ways to make ATV riding safer.

In Louisiana and Mississippi, there were 67 &8212; 31 and 36, respectively &8212; reported deaths between the years 2002 and 2004.

Because some deaths do not get reported to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which regulates the industry, the data collection for the period is incomplete.

Based on yearly estimates of nationwide injuries &8212; which have risen to more than 100,000 per year since 2000, CPSC Chairman Hal Stratton and his board of commissioners to issue an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in October.

&8220;It was a vote to put everything on the table for consideration: new rules and new ideas,&8221; CPSC spokesman Scott Wolfson said.

&8220;We&8217;re not looking to take away your ATV. W e&8217;re trying to make it a safer experience.&8221;

The ATV industry is self-regulated. Manufacturers fund the ATV Safety Institute, which works with the CPSC to ensure safe production and use of the vehicles. The literature, videos and posters at the dealerships stress the importance of safety equipment and careful operation.

The ANPR, the first step in the commission&8217;s decision-making process, opens the possibility of toughening aspects of self-regulation or enacting it&8217;s own rules. A majority of the CSPC&8217;s three-person board of commissioners see fit.

One area the commission is likely to zero in on is driver safety training.

Currently, all of the major manufacturers offer free training sessions for new riders &8212; most offer cash incentives, available to all eligible riders in a family, to participate. The program, however, is voluntary, which the CPSC may decide to change.

Another area is the warning materials that accompany the bikes.

&8220;We&8217;re talking about giving more information at the point of sale,&8221; he said. &8220;To help them understand the seriousness. Data can be power.&8221;

The major problem, all sides agree, comes from youth riding a machine that is too powerful for them to control.

And while dealers are contractually forbidden from selling ATV&8217;s with engines larger than a 90 cc capacity to anyone under 16 years old &8212; or to anyone who will allow a youth to ride it &8212; it is tough to enforce.

&8220;Honda sends out shoppers to make sure we&8217;re not selling to youth,&8221; Great River Honda manager Buster Jamison said.

&8220;If a parent says he&8217;s buying it for a child, we refuse to sell it.&8221;

Still, Jamison concedes that it

is all but impossible for him to divine the intentions of his customers with a few questions.

The ATVSI feels like the problem is not at the dealerships but at home and that enforceable state legislation is needed to provide consequences for people who allow youth to ride adult ATVs.

&8220;We feel like we&8217;ve got all our bases covered and the message is out, but people don&8217;t always heed the warnings,&8221; ATVSI spokesman Mike Mount said. &8220;In a way, the industry is in conflict with a certain set of its customers.&8221;

Mount said his group has drawn up legislation and has been working with states to adopt it.

The aim of both the ATVSI and the CPSC is the same, both sides said.

&8220;The end goal is to keep riders safe. That is what the industry has seeked to do for decades and we just differ in ways to get that done,&8221; Mount said.