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Location
Ormond Beach, FL, USA
Edited Date/Time
1/25/2012 12:12am
Read below. People get hurt on two wheels as well, right? We're next!
Government eyes off-road recreational vehicles
AP – This undated handout photo provided by the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association shows an off-road …
By JENNIFER C. KERR, Associated Press Writer – Wed Oct 21, 2:56 pm ET
WASHINGTON – After scores of deaths, the U.S. government government is taking a closer look at off-road recreational vehicles, known as ROVs.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission voted Wednesday to write mandatory rules to regulate the four-wheel vehicles, after more than 100 deaths since 2003. Riders have suffered dozens of injuries, too — some leading to amputations.
ROVs, also called side-by-sides, are two-passenger motorized vehicles designed for drivers 16 years and older. They resemble a cross between a rugged-looking golf cart and a miniature-Jeep, and have a roll cage — metal bars framing the cab.
The industry proposed voluntary regulations for side-by-sides, but comission staffers said they fell short. Agency staff have expressed concern about the vehicles and rollover risks.
The commission will solicit comments from industry, consumer advocates and others as it writes the rules. This is the beginning of a process that could take many months, even years.
ROVs first appeared on the market in the late 1990s. Since 2003, CPSC says 116 people have died, including young children, and more than 150 have been injured. Injuries have involved crushing fractures to legs, feet and arms and some riders have lost limbs.
Safety advocates say the commission's vote puts the industry on notice.
"This is an instance where the industry has not been responding quickly and effectively enough to the well-documented hazards caused by these products," said Rachel Weintraub, director of product safety and senior counsel for the Consumer Federation of America.
ROV makers, however, insist the vehicles are safe.
"We know the vehicles are safe when used responsibly," the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association said in a statement. "We must emphasize the importance of consumers making the right choices when driving an ROV."
Former agency chief, Nancy Nord, first directed CPSC staff to investigate the vehicles and deaths a year ago.
In March, Yamaha Motor Corp. USA recalled more than 100,000 of its Rhino off-highway recreational vehicles for repairs after two models were linked to 46 deaths in the past six years. In many cases, riders were not wearing seat belts, the commission said. And in a number of incidents, rollovers happened on level ground at relatively slow speeds, the agency said.
ROVs can reach top speeds of more than 35 miles (56 kilometers) an hour. Industry officials declined to say exactly how fast they can go, but Yamaha put the maximum speed for its ROVs at 40 miles (65 kilometers) an hour.
Currently, there are mandatory restrictions for ATVs, such as speed limits for youth models. But there are no standards, voluntary or otherwise, for the side-by-sides, which have the roll cage and a different steering system.
About 140,000 ROVs were sold last year in the United States.
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Government eyes off-road recreational vehicles
AP – This undated handout photo provided by the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association shows an off-road …
By JENNIFER C. KERR, Associated Press Writer – Wed Oct 21, 2:56 pm ET
WASHINGTON – After scores of deaths, the U.S. government government is taking a closer look at off-road recreational vehicles, known as ROVs.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission voted Wednesday to write mandatory rules to regulate the four-wheel vehicles, after more than 100 deaths since 2003. Riders have suffered dozens of injuries, too — some leading to amputations.
ROVs, also called side-by-sides, are two-passenger motorized vehicles designed for drivers 16 years and older. They resemble a cross between a rugged-looking golf cart and a miniature-Jeep, and have a roll cage — metal bars framing the cab.
The industry proposed voluntary regulations for side-by-sides, but comission staffers said they fell short. Agency staff have expressed concern about the vehicles and rollover risks.
The commission will solicit comments from industry, consumer advocates and others as it writes the rules. This is the beginning of a process that could take many months, even years.
ROVs first appeared on the market in the late 1990s. Since 2003, CPSC says 116 people have died, including young children, and more than 150 have been injured. Injuries have involved crushing fractures to legs, feet and arms and some riders have lost limbs.
Safety advocates say the commission's vote puts the industry on notice.
"This is an instance where the industry has not been responding quickly and effectively enough to the well-documented hazards caused by these products," said Rachel Weintraub, director of product safety and senior counsel for the Consumer Federation of America.
ROV makers, however, insist the vehicles are safe.
"We know the vehicles are safe when used responsibly," the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association said in a statement. "We must emphasize the importance of consumers making the right choices when driving an ROV."
Former agency chief, Nancy Nord, first directed CPSC staff to investigate the vehicles and deaths a year ago.
In March, Yamaha Motor Corp. USA recalled more than 100,000 of its Rhino off-highway recreational vehicles for repairs after two models were linked to 46 deaths in the past six years. In many cases, riders were not wearing seat belts, the commission said. And in a number of incidents, rollovers happened on level ground at relatively slow speeds, the agency said.
ROVs can reach top speeds of more than 35 miles (56 kilometers) an hour. Industry officials declined to say exactly how fast they can go, but Yamaha put the maximum speed for its ROVs at 40 miles (65 kilometers) an hour.
Currently, there are mandatory restrictions for ATVs, such as speed limits for youth models. But there are no standards, voluntary or otherwise, for the side-by-sides, which have the roll cage and a different steering system.
About 140,000 ROVs were sold last year in the United States.
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That statement is the whole problem. They market these things to the backwoods rednecky types, goofy ass twenty somethings, keepinig up with the Jones'stypes and sell them to anyone with a pulse, money or a glimmer of credit. Am I wrong in thinking at least half of the Rhino's and Razors sold were to irresponsible people? And those are the first people to sue. Anyone who couldn't see this coming is f'n blind. The idiots that buy these things see four wheels and a roll bar and the first thing in their head is "gee this looks much safer than one of them thar dirt sickles". And the next thing you know is it is sitting on my frame rack with a wadded up frame because their nine year old grandson wrecked it into a tree. True story. The only saving grace for the motocrosser is that EVERYBODY already knows those are dangerous. Or at least they think so.
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Can you open a swimming pool and charge people without a lifeguard ? can you run organized youth sports in almost any other field that involves high levels of danger with zero mandated safety regulations?
Not saying I want track safety inspections or something, but the current Wild West mentality will not survive forever.
I know a guy whose doctor reported him to child welfare groups and tried to intervene because he kept letting/making his kid race and rebreaking his arm over and over again.
And I have totally lost any sympathy for ATV riders. They are their own worst enemy, sorry. The vast majority of them don't wear helmets and treat ownership of an ATV as a license to ride wherever they want. They also do their bet to flaunt the age restrictions. Sorry if that ticks any responsible users off- but I just don't see it in practice.
She's had about 20 operations, but her foot is done.
IMO this is a common occurrence. Horrible skills combined with a machine that requires some respect, and will bite you very badly if you don't give it any.
It was a very sad day.
Guess what? The dad is suing Yamaha.
Rhino Injury Lawsuits
www.rhino-lawsuit.com Steinberg Law Firm P.C. accepts rhino injury lawsuits nationwide.
Yamaha Rollover Attorney
www.rhinoinjuryattorney.com Rhino Rollover Injury? Injured? Contact a Lawyer Today.
Yamaha Rhino
www.Yamaha-Motor.com Come see the 2009 Rhino lineup at Yamaha Motors USA
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Yamaha Rhino Lawsuit - Yamaha Rhino Rollover Class Action Lawsuit
Aug 4, 2009 ... Yamaha Rhino Lawsuit: Lawyers representing Yamaha Rhino rollover victims have filed lawsuits. Free consultation.
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Our law firm is representing several people who were injured in Yamaha Rhino rollovers. In these cases, the rollovers occurred at low speeds, ...
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Yamaha Rhino Rollover & Recall: 2009 Update, Free Case Review
In injury lawsuits filed against Yamaha, our clients charge that the Yamaha Rhino side-by-side contains multiple design flaws rendering it dangerously ...
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Modern society is all about protecting kids from every imaginable harm-- the result is they expect to be protected from any consequences of their actions- like ripping around in a Rhino with a passenger.
One good thing about the Rhino lawsuits is that the first case that went before a jury was just a few miles away here in Southeast Texas a couple months ago. And Yamaha got the nod on that one. Hopefully it set some sort of precedent for all the rest that follow.
Did you ever notice how many ROV drivers are already half crocked on cheap beer when they back them out of the trailer?
It's not just them, either.
I don't go to the desert on big holidays any more.
Too dangerous.
American is too Idoit Proof and the idoits still aren't satisfied. Maybe we didn't have this problem before because the idoits killed themselves off? hahah
I se a lot of these used now on construction job sites and mostly that industry police's thier use on site via the contractors safety program and surely theres a wide use out there in the agricultural and other uses such as grounds maintenence and the like that are semi policed in house but as far as the recreational side its hard to say who or what body will step in and attempt regulation.
Probably the "fix" you'll see other than an outright ban will be some type of minimum age requirements for operators and maybe required training course's but who will pay for and administer those and how effective would that ultimately be?
Seems that personal responsiblilty and accountability for an individuals own actions are relics of the past as long as there are dollars to be made in the courtroom .
On another note a relative of mine owns a driving school which you need to attend 6 hours of in NJ to get your license, there is no pass or fail until you take your 5-10 minute road test which in my area involves parallel parking in a 26' long parking space between 4 cones, a right turn, drive 1000' turn left, drive 500' do a 'K' turn and go back to the starting line. One of the students I heard about had a medical condition where they were mentally slow and they now have a drivers licenese, needless to say we are all that much more likely to get into an accident if that kid screws up and we're around.
I'll say this though... if I was some young kid with no experience and little exposure to these those things would look awfully fun and "safe" to me!
Pit Row
Remember there are lawyers and Government agencies out there protecting stupid people and they are allowing them to breed which means millions more stupid people in our futures.
Now I am a NEWB to the site, so feel free to give me a good old STFU. However, I have been used, abused and never been oiled!
P.S. Cygnus, this is Joe from the old IMI days. How are you and the family doing?
Local news and local diner B.S was nothing but "outrage" at the actual machine and nothing about personal reponsibility.
It was horrible that it happened but it was preventable and it wasnt Yamaha's fault.
FWIW I dont think the family sued Yam and i never heard them personally blame the machine........the general uninformed public on the other hand.......
When young people can buy motorcycles that are so fast they can exceed any legal speed limit in second gear and they turn quarter miles in the 9 second range, I don't see why they'd get upset about 4 wheelers.
but this all will hit the fan once the "government" gets its hands on health care and starts deciding what is a "sport" and what is unnecessary.
my contention is they will shut the whole sport of mx down for children under the age of 16 if they get thier hands on the whole process. We have a state congress lady going to likely submitt that same bill again, if that one would pass, it would make it illegal to ride, race anything (atv, mini bike, etc) under the age of 16.
She is coming back again next year for another stab at it. so lets hope another demcrat from IL don't get thier way.
It wouldn't be that hard for a national organization to offer track safety assessments, rider orientation programs, and basically become a clearing house for safety issues in the sport. In fact, I imagine insurance companies that provide track liability insurance would welcome that and might even reduce rates if a robust safety program was in place for a given track. But, as a sport, we've never addressed it, and one of these days we're going to regret that.
One of these days, we're going to turn on CSPAN and see Senators listening to testimony about children being maimed and killed on motocross tracks, right in front of their parents, and when they ask, "What's been done to improve this situation?", they're going to hear, "Nothing."
It made the internet in a press release and said it could help set the mark as far as future lawsuits go.
Hard to imagine that it was the first lawsuit that went to a jury but I thinkI am right baout that! haha.
If you break it down there are a lot more dangerous sports out there, like riding in a car.
here is the story!
www.4wheeldrive.about.com/b/2009/08/28/yamaha-wins-rhino-rollover-lawsu…
And I agree with your previous post regarding the irresponsibility of your average ATV'er.
You have to drive a couple miles of gravel road to get to our house. The roads are always carved up with deep doughnuts and fishtails from the local ATV'ers. Then, they are up in arms when all the town tries to ban ATV riding...
It's been a long time since I've let anyone but a very select couple of people ride on our track. While I wasn't at home, one of the guys from down the road stopped by with a couple of his buddies (all on ATV's). He's a likable guy and friendly, but for sure a "dumb redneck type". They ask my wife if they could go ride on the track for a while. She reluctantly agrees, but having been around MX tracks for the last 20 years, she's smart enough to tell them to take a slow lap first to familiarize themselves with the track.
First lap. One of them launches a double and breaks his arm.
To his credit, he did tell the ER people he did it ditch riding.
Post a reply to: Here it comes! Get ready!