In today's Washington Post, reporter Annys Shin continues her in-depth coverage of product safety issues. In the story Stuck In Neutral, she reports on the CPSC's failure to recall a dangerous ATV:

In June, the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued an unusual warning about a four-wheel all-terrain vehicle designed for children, calling it "defective and dangerous. Children are at risk of injury or death due to multiple safety defects with this off-road vehicle," the agency said in a news release. That vehicle, the Kazuma Meerkat 50, was not recalled, however, which prompted consumer advocates to raise the question: If it was so dangerous, why did the CPSC allow it to remain on the market?

Under the Consumer Product Safety Act, it cannot release information about products for 30 days without getting comment from the manufacturer. If the manufacturer does not like what the agency intends to disclose, then by law it can take the CPSC to court. In practice, that can translate into delays while every word of a recall news release is negotiated. By law, businesses can also choose whether to repair or replace a product, or offer a refund, which can result in hazardous products sometimes remaining on the market. Most recently, dangerous cribs remained in homes and stores even after the deaths of three infants.