Don’t let fall bring falls from a Yamaha Rhino ATV
Fall is coming, the air is cooling, and fall fun is in that air.
Just be sure your fall fun doesn’t lead to a fall — or other accident — involving an all terrain vehicle.
Small ATVs such as Yamaha Rhino ATVs are not road-worthy — in fact, they’re illegal to drive on Texas streets and highways. Rather, they are meant for off-road recreation. The trouble is, thousands of ATV users are having so much “recreation” that it’s maiming or killing them.
High-profile victims have included rocker Ozzy Osbourne, who broke six ribs, his collarbone and a vertebra in his neck in a 2003 ATV accident, and sax player LeRoi Moore of the Dave Matthews Band, who died two months after an ATV accident last June.
But those are just the tip of a growing iceberg. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that ATV deaths and injuries are skyrocketing. In 2006, 555 Americans were killed on an ATV, and another 146,600 were injured — an increase of 10,000 from the previous year. And many of those injuries were serious, involving paralysis, amputation and other disabilities. Plus, as many as 20 per cent of the victims were innocent children.
While such ATV accidents can come from people driving unwisely, many occur because ATVs such as Yamaha Rhino have serious manufacturer design flaws and are inherently unsafe.
In short, ATVs are not AOK.
One of the worst performance records belongs to the most popular ATV brand: the Yamaha Rhino. With its narrow tires, narrow body and top-heavy design, the Yamaha Rhino ATV is prone to rollovers, even when driven slowly and on a flat surface. Imagine how much greater the chance is for rollovers when the Yamaha Rhino ATV is driven on the kind of “all terrain” for which it is named and intended: rugged hills, deep ditches, muddy slopes and other challenges to normal road vehicles.
Also, many ATVs such as Yamaha Rhino lack side doors, and in accidents the driver or passenger is likely to try to brace themselves with an arm or leg — which can wind up badly broken and even may require amputation. Riders also tend to be flung from such vehicles and be pinned under them in a rollover.
While Yamaha has offered free upgrades for some Yamaha Rhino ATVs (doors — what a concept!), many unsafe Yamaha Rhino ATVs remain. Also, the line continues to sell well, even at prices of $10,000 or more.
That’s a steep price to pay for a vehicle with no purpose other than thrill rides, especially when those “thrills” turn out not to be recreational but rather wind up killing or maiming.
So by all means, go ahead and have your fall fun, especially outdoors. The nip in the air invites it. Just don’t let your fun be cut short by driving or riding on a Yamaha Rhino or other ATV that is clearly not AOK — not by a long shot.
If you or a loved one has suffered due to design flaws in a Yamaha Rhino ATV or other ATV, contact a Yamaha Rhino ATV accident lawyer with Jim S. Adler & Associates. The law firm offers a free case review, and its Yamaha Rhino ATV accident attorneys can ensure there are no accidents in pressing your case.
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Comments
Yamaha Rhinos are dangerous. I’ve known people who’ve had them and I’ve witnessed their tendency to roll on various YouTube videos. I am really surprised these vehicles are still on the market given their obvious design defects.
It really makes you question what the manufacturer was thinking with its design, especially with the older models.
These ATV vehicles are too dangerous. I’ve seen videos of how easily they tip while turning even at low speeds.
I think a few simple precautions, such as wearing a helmet and using common sense, can help you prevent accidents. Just be careful and stay in safe places and you will be just fine.