 ATV accidents claim thousands
Just as rollovers have given SUVs (sport utility vehicles) a bad name, they’ve done the same for ATVs (all-terrain vehicles). According to the Consumer Products Safety Commission, ATV driving leads to more than 700 deaths and more than 135,000 injuries annually in America, and about 30 per cent of those involve children. Texas is among the top five states for ATV deaths, along with Pennsylvania, California, West Virginia and Kentucky.
While many brands and models of ATVs are on the market, from Honda to Suzuki to Kawasaki, the Yamaha Rhino is the most popular. This Yamaha ATV also is drawing the most scrutiny for alleged defects which contribute to driver and passenger injuries and deaths. (Though ATVs generally are not designed for passengers and are illegal to operate with passengers, that doesn’t mean some riders won’t climb aboard.)
ATV accidents often are rolloversA common type of ATV accident is a rollover, and the Yamaha Rhino is a top candidate for such accidents. That is due to the Yamaha Rhino’s narrow tires and its top-heavy design, which can lead to the ATV tipping or rolling over even at relatively slow speeds and even while turning on level ground.
The Yamaha Rhino’s design also leaves a driver’s legs exposed in a way that contributes to injuries in a rollover accident. Legs may be broken or pulverized and even require amputation.
The chance for such accidents grows enormously when the ATV is used for its namesake: driving on all terrains, which may mean hills, mountains, river beds, sand dunes and muddy or rocky roads. Adult-level ATVs also are designed to travel at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour, and high speed is a contributing factor in many vehicle accidents.
Considered off-road vehicles, three- and four-wheeled ATVs are not meant to travel on streets and highways with normal traffic, and in fact are illegal to drive on public roads in many states, including Texas. If anything, an ATV is more difficult to drive on a level, paved road, as it is not designed for this function. It is also illegal to drive ATVs on protected sand dunes on South Padre Island.
Some states also ban children from driving an ATV. At the least, children should not drive an adult-size ATV but rather a smaller ATV with a top speed of 15 miles per hour.
ATVs also come under criticism for their emissions which pollute the atmosphere and for many drivers’ tendencies to travel across private land instead of sticking to public trails.
ATV regulations need work, too The CPSC and consumer advocates are working to improve regulations governing Yamaha Rhino and other ATVs and to encourage recalls of defective vehicles, which so far have been very limited. Meanwhile, driving which involves no purpose other than recreation is leading to thousands of needless tragedies across the nation, in large part because many ATVs are not safe vehicles for anyone to drive even when helmets and other safety measures are taken into account. If you or a loved one has suffered due to a Yamaha Rhino ATV accident or other ATV accident, an ATV accident lawyer from Jim S. Adler & Associates can help. Start by filling out a free case review with details of your case. The firm’s ATV accident lawyers work on a contingency basis, meaning you pay no fee but only a percent of the award should your case prevail in court.
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