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30 Off-Road Fatalities Subject Of Govt Probe

By Eddie Farah

We blog all too frequently about children who are hurt or killed in off-highway vehicles and ATVs.

Now the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is looking into the design of a handful of brands associated with more than 30 fatalities. The Yamaha Motor Company’s Rhino is one of those brands.

An off-road vehicle is different from an ATV because they are larger and have two side-by-side seats and a protective roll cage, which is not required of ATVs. Besides the Rhino, there are the Polaris’s Razor, Honda Big Red, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Mule and Arctic Cat’s Prowler.

Yamaha has been having meetings with the CPSC sharing information about the Rhino. The company says the Rhino “is one of the safest, most-reliable vehicles in the category.

Polaris says it’s had no deaths involving the Razor models

Julie Vallese of the CPSC says “We need to study how they’re being used, how the injuries are happening, how behavior during use of the vehicles may be playing a role.”

A number of off-road vehicles have had recalls because of structural failures. The brands have been produced for about five years and are popular with hunters and off-road enthusiasts.

In Florida, youngsters can ride all-terrain vehicles if they have a DOT-certified safety helmet.

Kids are reminded that ATVs are not toys and should not be treated as such. They are not allowed on public roads, streets or highways, however law enforcement can use them to enforce traffic laws and in getting to and from the beach.

Children as young as six are allowed to ride in ATVs that are under 70 ccs and are supposed to be accompanied by an adult. However, a six-year-old may not have the upper body strength to maneuver the vehicle.

Either vehicle is definitely not popular with citizens who see the destruction tleft behind to pristine beach grasses and forests, ancient ruins and desert landscapes. #

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Eddie Farah

Full post as published by Jacksonville Personal Injury Lawyer on November 07, 2008 (boomark / email).