CPSC Investigates Safety of Yamaha Rhino UTVs
Posted by
Amanda WickNovember 06, 2008 8:40 AMThe U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) recently began an investigation into the safety of Yamaha Rhino utility terrain vehicles, or UTVs, after reports of severe injuries and deaths resulted from the use of these vehicles. However, since its release in 2003, over 200 lawsuits have been filed on behalf of injured riders. Nearly 30 of these incidents have resulted in death, including those of two young girls in Mississippi just last month.
The Yamaha Rhino is a type of UTV that resembles a cross between a golf cart and an all-terrain vehicle. Although the Rhino looks similar to other utility vehicles, it has unique features that make it more popular among consumers including a narrower frame that allows it to fit easily into a truck bed. However, because the Rhino has special features and a different design than other similar vehicles, it cannot be classified with traditional ATVs and UTVs. For example, the Rhino does not fall into the class of traditional ATVs because it has a steering wheel instead of handle bars. Therefore, the Yamaha Rhino is not subject to the same safety standards as other vehicles.
As a result, those “unique features,” such as a narrower wheel base, combined with the height of the UTV and its high center of gravity, make the vehicle more prone to rollovers than other vehicles. Since the vehicle’s release in 2003, Yamaha has cautioned users to wear seat belts and helmets to minimize the risk of a rollover. In 2006, instead of re-designing the UTV to include appropriate safety devices, Yamaha issued new warning stickers that were sent to all owners. The stickers were to be placed on the roll bar and indicated that occupants of the vehicle should keep their arms and legs inside the vehicle during a rollover. These warnings did nothing to actually prevent Rhino occupants from getting injured in rollover accidents. After several injuries resulted from its use, in 2007, Yamaha issued safety stickers to owners that read: “Abrupt maneuvers or aggressive driving have caused-rollovers – even on flat, open areas.”
While a number of injuries and lawsuits surrounding Yamaha Rhinos have been present since the vehicle’s release in 2003, unclear statistics and delayed reports by Yamaha to CPSC about these accidents have also caused the delay in investigating the safety regulations. The Wall Street Journal reported that the number of deaths involving Rhino vehicles was one for every 10,000 vehicles, numbers that are similar to those of other ATVs and UTVs. However, recent increases in the number of injuries and deaths that have resulted from the use of Rhino vehicles have hastened the need for safety regulations which the CPSC can monitor and enforce.
This past August, federal legislation toughened the regulation of various products and made mandatory what were once voluntary safety standards for UTVs. This legislation will go into effect in April 2009.