Bloomingdale police said that Mlynarczyk was rushed to Copley Medical Center in Aurora where he was pronounced dead later that evening. They did not specify the nature of Mlynarczyk’s injuries and the accident remains under investigation.

The fatal rollover stunned Mlynarczyk’s friends and family. According to Chicago’s Daily Herald, the man’s father, Marion Mlynarczyk said his son was an experienced driver of both three- and four-wheeled ATVs and dirt bikes.

“He just loves it, it’s like he was born with that (passion),” his father told the Daily Herald, which noted that “Even the main photo on his Facebook profile includes a photo of Mlynarczyk atop an ATV.”

Mlynarczyk was the youngest of five children. He graduated last year from Glenbard North High School and was studying to become a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning specialist.

“If you knew him, you would like him right away because he was such a positive person. Everybody liked him (because) he was always willing to help and always giving good advice,” his father said.

Mlynarczyk’s father said that his son “was looking forward to graduating and working as a Union Guy.”

“We are going to miss him tremendously and I don’t know how we are going to fill the gap he left. I look at his pictures and he is so full of life and hope, and now he’s gone,” his father told the Daily Herald.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV rollover claims the life of 19-year-old Illinois student

An all-terrain vehicle crash claimed the life of a 16-year-old girl from the Chinquapin community in Duplin County, North Carolina last weekend. According to NBC affiliate WITN in Washington, North Carolina, the girl was identified as Raven Kennedy, a student at East Duplin High School.

Authorities investigating the accident said Kennedy was driving the ATV on private property when it rolled over after Kennedy attempted to turn onto a dirt road. Her passenger, 20-year-old Michael Pickett, was taken to Duplin General Hospital, where he was treated and released.

In South Carolina, a 13-year-old boy died when he was riding his ATV with friends. According to Florence County Coroner Bubba Matthews, the boy, who was identified as Benjamin Byers, lost control of the ATV and was crushed when the vehicle rolled over on top of him. Byers was rushed to Lake City Hospital where he was pronounced dead just before 3 p.m. on January 11.

Near White City, Oregon, three two teenage girls were treated for injuries at a local hospital when the ATV they and another friend, also a teenage girl, flipped. Reports say that the ATV’s driver lost control of the vehicle just as she attempted to cross Highway 140 in southern Oregon just outside White City.

One of the girls of the girls was ejected when the vehicle rolled over. The other girls were trapped under the vehicle after it rolled over multiple times. All three girls survived the crash.

In Nova Scotia, Canada, a teenager died when he was ejected from the vehicle after hitting some rocks in the road. 18-year-old Alexander MacPhee of Nine Mile River was riding his ATV with two friends when the accident occurred. Halifax Royal Canadian Mounted Police said that MacPhee was wearing a helmet but that it had come off when he the rock. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

In an effort to reduce the incidence of injury and death caused by ATV accidents, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced last October that it voted to publish an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) to address safety hazards associated with ATVs.

According to the CPSC, the agency’s preliminary evaluations found that ATVs may exhibit inadequate lateral stability, undesirable steering characteristics, and inadequate occupant protection during a rollover crash.

“The need for federal rulemaking on ROVs (recreational offroad vehicles) is the consequence of not having a voluntary standard that effectively safeguards consumers, said CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum in a statement, adding that she believed her agency could play a vital role in making ATVs safer.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV accidents turned January into a tragic month for many teenagers

Investigators at the scene said that the crash was likely the result of the front left tire coming off of Case’s vehicle. The tire disengagement apparently caused Case to run the ATV headlong into a tree. Authorities said that the boy was not wearing a helmet.

Case was rushed to South Williamson Appalachian Regional Hospital in South Williamson, Kentucky, where emergency physician Brandon Haake pronounced him dead.

Case attended Belfry High School in Belfry, Kentucky. According to the school principal, who spoke with the Williamson Daily News, Case was well liked by his fellow students.

“The young man was a senior and well liked at the school. I don’t know anyone who didn’t like Andy,” Principal Rod Varney told the Daily News.

“Any time you lose a student it’s devastating to the school. It is a difficult time for everyone,” Varney told the Daily News. “Somebody lost a child, somebody lost a friend and then we all lost a student.”

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Kentucky leads the nation in the number of ATV-related fatalities. The CPSC says that 367 ATV-related deaths were reported in Kentucky in 2006 alone, and incomplete numbers for the following years show that ATV fatalities continue to escalate. Tragically, about one-third of all the reported ATV deaths in Kentucky are children.

Pennsylvania, California, West Virginia, and Texas are other states with an unusually high rate of deaths caused by ATV accidents.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Kentucky teen dies in Christmas day ATV crash

In July 2008, Gillentine-Green pronounced the deaths of 20-year-old Crystal Hooper and her 5-year-old cousin Natalie Aguilar after the ATV they were on crashed. According to available reports, Hooper lost control of the ATV and ran into a trailer full of building supplies. Both Hooper and Aguilar sustained head injuries in the accident.

Mississippi remains one of the few states with almost no laws pertaining to the use of ATVs. As a result, the number of ATV-related injuries and deaths in Mississippi is three times higher than in most other parts of the country.

ATV deaths have been creeping upward in the state since 1981, but the numbers suddenly spiked in 2005. From then until 2007, the last statistically current year in the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s data, 65 ATV-related deaths occurred, representing more than 25 percent of all the state’s ATV-related deaths since 1981.

According to state numbers, 29 people were killed and 1,500 seriously injured in ATV accidents in Mississippi last year alone.

A bill that would have encouraged ATV safety died in Mississippi’s last legislative session, but Republican State Representative Dannie Reed plans to reintroduce a similar bill in the upcoming session. The legislation would require all ATV drivers to wear helmets while driving on public land. Drivers also would have to meet the minimum age requirement for the vehicle and the number of passengers would be restricted. Ignoring the safety laws would cost $100 per violation.

“Mississippi has lost more people on ATVs than the state has lost soldiers to the Iraq war,” Reed told the Clarion-Ledger.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Mississippi coroner supports legislation governing ATV safety

According to officers from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the boy was wearing a helmet, but it was not enough to protect him from serious injury. Reports say that the boy was thrown from the vehicle and landed about 3 feet away from the ATV. He was rushed to St. John Medical Center in Tulsa, where he later died as a result of massive head injuries.

ATV accidents such as this have prompted the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission to push for more regulation and ATV safety awareness, especially when children are concerned. The CPSC is currently drafting new ATV safety rules that will become mandatory for all ATVs manufactured in or shipped to the United States.

The vehicles have flown under the regulatory radar since the early 1980s, when they debuted on the U.S. market. Sales have crept steadily upward since their introduction, but have exploded in the last 2 years. An alarming rate of serious injury and death has accompanied the skyrocketing ATV sales.

To help mitigate the problem, the CPSC is also cracking down on the import of defective Chinese-made ATVs. The agency recently seized a shipment of Chinese ATVs at the port of Houston because they did not meet U.S. safety specifications.

Sadly, China has emerged as a leader in the production of cheap ATVs for children, making more than 83 percent of the vehicles sold children ages 6 to 16 years. Often, these vehicles, which can sell for as little as $250, lack even the most basic safety features, such as front brakes.

The CPSC estimates that more than 100 children are killed every year in ATV accidents and 40,000 sustain injuries serious enough to require hospitalization.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV rollover kills 6-year-old Oklahoma boy

The boy was off-roading with his father, each of them driving separate vehicles, when the accident occurred. Authorities said that Quarles fell off of his ATV and landed in a ditch, but did not elaborate on the cause of the accident.

Reports indicate that the boy and his father followed the usual precautions. Quarles was wearing a helmet, he was driving an age-appropriate “small four wheeler,” and was operating the ATV under adult supervision. Still, though, the safety measures were not enough to prevent the boy’s death.

Quarles was rushed to Self Regional Medical Center in Greenwood but was pronounced dead in the emergency room, according to the Index Journal. Autopsy reports revealed that the boy died from blunt force trauma to the chest area, which caused cardiac arrest. Legally required toxicology tests were still being processed as part of the autopsy, but doctors did not expect abnormal results from them.

Students, teachers, and school administration mourned Quarles’ death on Monday. Ware Shoals Primary School principal Frank Cason told the Index Journal that Monday morning was difficult for Quarles’ classmates and others who knew him.

“He was a nice young man,” Cason said. “He was well-mannered and the kids liked him a lot. He was the kind of kid you would want in your class. It has been a sad, sad morning,” Carson told the paper.

The boy’s mother Ashley Quarles told Spartanburg’s News Channel 7 that Erik “was just the sweetest little boy and if you ever met him, you’d remember him. He was a good ‘ole country boy. His dream was to be a bull rider.”

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › despite safety precautions, ATV accident kills south carolina boy

Authorities said that Lyle was wearing a helmet at the time but that she suffered from internal injuries. She was rushed to Johnson City Medical Center Hospital, where she died from her injuries shortly after arriving. The Washington County Sheriff’s CRASH team is investigating the cause of the crash.

In North Carolina, authorities in the town of Hope Mills, just southwest of Fayetteville, responded to a report of an ATV crash just before 6:00 Sunday night. According to the Hope Mills Police Dept. report, the accident occurred in a wooded area within the city limits.

Authorities identified the victim of the crash was 21-year-old Heather Nicole Campbell, who had just celebrated her birthday 3 days prior to the accident.

According to reports, Campbell was driving the ATV through a wooded area off of Legion Road when she hit a tree. The ATV rolled over into a ravine, ejecting Campbell, and then landed on top of her. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Source: Fayetteville Observer

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Weekend ATV accidents claim the lives of 2 young women

Reports say that 15-year-old Danny Tyler Corn was the driver of the Honda TRX300 ATV. 14-year-old Tyler Noles was a passenger. Corn was driving the ATV west along Holland Chattoogaville Road and had crossed Georgia Highway 114 onto Johnson Cemetery Road, where he lost control of the vehicle.

According to the Rome, Georgia, State Patrol, the ATV sideswiped a parked car, hit a mailbox, and then crashed into a tree head-on. Both boys were ejected from the vehicle.

The crash occurred at approximately 7:15 pm. A nearby resident said he heard a loud bang when it happened.

Responding officers called for a medical airlift. According to Chattooga County’s Summerville News, Corn was pronounced dead at the helicopter’s landing zone and was not airlifted. Noles was flown to Erlanger Medical Center in Chattanooga, where he was admitted with serious injuries and remains in stable condition.

Georgia is one of the few states that has no laws governing ATV operation or safety. The only existing rules require off-road vehicles to be equipped with brakes and a muffler and that drivers obtain permission before using the vehicles on private property.

Because ATV manufacturers have done little to enhance the safety features of their vehicles, the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission announced last month that it would begin the process of regulating ATVs.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV crash kills one Georgia teen, seriously injures another

Seven game wardens and other authorities from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Department and the Ellsworth Fire Department launched a search of Seymour’s hunting grounds that evening. A state trooper spotted Seymour’s truck parked on a rural road in the town of Ellsworth, allowing the search party to narrow its search in the broad region.

Game wardens discovered Seymour pinned underneath his ATV just before midnight. He was found dead at the scene, the victim of a rollover accident.

According to the Daily News, the Maine Warden Service said that Seymour had been riding on a steep trail with a granite edge when he apparently lost control of the vehicle, causing it to roll over on top of him.

Alcohol was not believed to be a factor, according to the Daily News report. Seymour was not wearing a helmet, but reports do not say whether he died as a result of head injuries.

Like other states with large swaths of wilderness and several rural communities, Maine has seen a dramatic upswing in the number of ATV related deaths and injuries in recent years. The rise in the number of ATV accidents reflects a national trend that has prompted the U.S. Consumer Safety Products Commission to initiate the process of regulating all-terrain vehicles. The CPSC has stated that ATV manufacturers have failed to hold themselves to adequate safety standards, therefore creating the need for government regulation.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Maine hunter dies in ATV rollover

According to the boy’s older brother, Garret left to take out the trash and drove the ATV around a barn located about 75 yards from the family’s home. The brother went to look for Garrett after he failed to return for about half an hour. After the boy found his brother pinned underneath the overturned Polaris, he ran back to the house to tell his father what had happened.

When first responders arrived at the farm about 1 p.m., they found that the boy’s father, Christopher Malone, had lifted the ATV off of his son and was performing CPR on him.

Medics airlifted the boy to Christus St. Michael Hospital in Texarkana, where he succumbed to his injuries.

The staggering number of children who die each year in ATV-related accidents is one of the reasons propelling major changes in the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s governance of off-road vehicles. Earlier this month, the CPSC announced that it had found a draft of safety standards proposed by the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association (ROHVA) “did not adequately address the deaths and injuries associated with ROV rollovers and collisions.”

CPSC Chairman Inez Tenebaum, a staunch child safety advocate, urged all ATV drivers and passengers “to strap on a helmet, use the seat belt, know the terrain, and never allow anyone under 16 to drive these vehicles.”

According to Concerned Families for ATV Safety, more than 40,000 children are seriously injured and killed in ATV accidents every year.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV rollover kills Arkansas boy

The recalled vehicles were sold by authorized dealers across the country from June 2007 through July 2009 and retailed for about $10,000. Bad Boy Enterprises has received 32 reports of unintended acceleration involving the vehicles since their appearance in the market.

According to the CPSC report, some of the incidents resulted in injuries such as “a fractured toe, rotator cuff injuries and sore muscles.” The agency advises all consumers to stop using the vehicles immediately and contact their Bad Boy Buggy dealer for a free repair.

Models included in the recall have serial numbers between 85004828 and 95010404, which are printed on a sticker in the driver’s side cubby. The Bad Boy Buggy Classic ATV is the only model included in the recall. The all-electric vehicles have an open, side-by-side design that requires occupants to sit on a bench.

Bad Boy Enterprises can be reached toll-free at (866) 678-6701 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. CT Monday through Friday. The company’s website is http://www.badboyenterprises.com/.

Last week, the CPSC announced that it voted to publish an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) to confront the safety issues commonly associated with recreational off-road vehicles (ROVs).

According to the CPSC, “the ANPR invites written comments from the public regarding the risks of injury associated with ROVs and ways in which these risks could be addressed. Following publication of the ANPR, the public will have 60 days to provide comments to the Commission. Comments can be submitted at www.regulations.gov.”

CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum issued a brief statement on October 21, in which she said “the need for federal rulemaking on ROVs” comes from “not having a voluntary standard that effectively safeguards consumers.”

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Bad Boy ATVs recalled after reports of unintended acceleration

According to the news release, the CPSC staff’s preliminary evaluations indicate that the vehicles may exhibit inadequate lateral stability, undesirable steering characteristics, and inadequate occupant protection during a rollover crash. The staff reviewed the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association (ROHVA) draft proposed American National Standards for Recreational Off-Highway Vehicles, ANSI/ROHVA 1-200X and “found preliminarily that it does not adequately address the deaths and injuries associated with ROV rollovers and collisions.”

In a statement issued by CPSC Oct. 21, Chairman Inez Tenenbaum says, “The need for federal rulemaking on ROVs is the consequence of not having a voluntary standard that effectively safeguards consumers. I have reviewed numerous death and injury reports tied to ROVs and I believe CPSC can play a vital role in making them safer. While we work on new safety rules for ROVs, I urge all riders and passengers to strap on a helmet, use the seat belt, know the terrain, and never allow anyone under 16 to drive these vehicles.”

During the ANPR process, the CPSC is inviting the public to submit written comments regarding the risks of injury associated with ROVs, and suggestions for ways in which these risks could be addressed.  Comments will be accepted for 60 days following publication of the ANPR.

Comments can be submitted at www.regulations.gov.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › CPSC to address rising death toll on recreational off-highway vehicles

Fayette County Sheriff’s officers and the Northeast Iowa Medical Transport arrived at the scene, where they found Rios had died of unspecified injuries.

Rios was a resident of West Union, a small town in northeastern corner of the state. The Daily Register described him as “an experienced outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting, fishing and ATV riding.” He leaves behind his wife Tina, his daughter Destiny, and three stepchildren.

At least 107 people died in Iowa last year in ATV rollovers and other accidents. 2009’s ATV death toll is expected to be significantly higher as the number of offroading injuries and fatalities escalates alongside their popularity. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which monitors ATV statistics in every state, Iowa had reported 112 ATV-related deaths in the entire period spanning 1982 to 2007.

ATVs are not only popular forms of recreation for outdoor enthusiasts; they are also used widely on American farms for traversing crops and other wide tracts of land and for hauling animals and equipment. Although some ATVs can reach speeds of up to 60 mph, some, such as the Yamaha Rhino, are criticized for their instability, even at low rates of speed and on flat surfaces.

When all safety precautions are followed, ATVs are still highly susceptible to accidents and should be handled with extreme caution.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Rollover kills experienced ATV driver in Iowa

According to the WKYC report, the four boys were riding the ATV in a wooded area near the Cleveland Metroparks South Chagrin Reservation when the accident occurred. Police in the nearby Solon community received a call reporting the accident around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday the 19th. When emergency workers arrived, they found student Dan Murphy, who had been driving, had died at the scene.

Daniel Loyke, also a sophomore at St. Ignatius, received serious injuries to his head and leg. He was airlifted by Life Flight to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland. The other two boys were released to their parents at the scene, having received only minor injuries. All of the boys were members of their school’s rowing team.

A request for prayers appears on the St. Ignatius website. “Daniel Murphy will be remembered as a great friend, strong student, loving son and faithful brother. The Saint Ignatius High School Community is in shock and grieving tonight,” the statement reads.

“Known as ‘Murph’ by his friends and teachers, he was a quiet leader who showed his heart through his work ethic. He loved being a student at Ignatius; he was always seen in his Ignatius sportswear. Murph was an honor student.”

The family of Daniel Loyke also released a statement on Monday, published by WKYC.

“As you can only imagine, this is the most difficult time for our family. While we are grateful that our Danny only suffered relatively minor injuries, all of our thoughts and prayers go out to the Murphy family on their incredible loss.

We are grateful and overwhelmed by the support we have received from family, friends, and particularly from the Ignatius community.

We need to extend a special thank you to the Ignatius crew team and coach Matthew Previts for their ongoing support.

We also want to thank the Solon Fire Rescue personnel and the Metro LifeFlight, trauma, and surgery teams at MetroHealth for the wonderful care they have given Danny.”

WKYC reports that the students used the homecoming dance just after the accident on Saturday evening as an impromptu prayer service. Police continue to investigate the cause of the accident.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV accident claims the life of Ohio teen, seriously injures one other

“Tractors and all-terrain vehicles that can roll over. Machines with fast-moving parts that can tear off a limb. Animals that can gore, crush or bite. Chemicals that emit toxic fumes,” the article begins, underscoring the dangers that threaten Nebraska’s farmers every working day.

Dan Neenan, manager of the National Center for Agricultural Safety in Iowa, told the World-Herald that the number of agricultural injuries and fatalities could be drastically reduced if tractors were equipped with a rollover protection system and seat belts. Tractor rollovers have been the leading cause of death on Nebraska’s farms for many years.

As with tractors, rollovers are a serious problem with ATVs, especially those with narrow track widths and high centers of gravity, such as the Yamaha Rhino. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission continues to investigate reports of Rhino rollovers because so many of them appear to happen on level ground and at low speeds.

ATVs can become even more unstable when used for more utilitarian purposes, such as farming. Neenan told the World-Herald that “farmers also need to remember that attaching equipment to ATVs, such as sprayers or hay-bale racks, changes ATVs’ center of gravity and makes them unstable.”

The report notes that the number of deaths and injuries involving ATVs is increasing. In Nebraska, six people were killed in ATV accidents this year, and half of those were farming related.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV rollovers contribute to Nebraska farming injuries and deaths

Dr. Steven Socransky, medical director of Sudbury Regional’s Trauma Program, urged area residents to exercise every caution when riding on an ATV.

“People must recognize that ATVs are heavy, powerful machines that can be difficult to operate safely, particularly by children and young adolescents. They require strength, training, special skills and knowledge that must be learned over a period of time,” he said in a press release.

According to Sudbury Northern Life, “loss of control” is the most cited cause of ATV accidents. Driver error and negligence sometimes contribute to collisions and rollovers, as do ATV design and defects. The Yamaha Rhino, for instance, has claimed as much notoriety in the ATV world as it did fame for the abnormally high number of injuries and fatalities associated with it. Safety advocates and consumer groups assert that the Rhino’s narrow stance and lack of safety features, among other shortcomings, cause it to roll over unexpectedly on flat terrain and at low speeds. Earlier this year, the CPSC and Yamaha announced a recall of all Rhino models for a series of safety upgrades.

According to Sudbury Northern Life, the Canadian Institute of Health Information reports that “the number of ATV-related injuries severe enough to require hospitalization jumped 50 per cent in Canada between 1996 and 2001, with 36 per cent of hospitalizations occurring among children and youth.”

Moreover, “Stats Canada numbers show ATV and other off-road motor vehicles rank as the fourth most common cause of injury-related deaths among Canadian children and youth aged 5 to 19 years.”

According to Canadian government records, children are six times more likely to receive a significant injury riding an ATV than they are in a conventional motor vehicle.

The ever-growing popularity of ATVs in Canada, combined with the vehicles’ inherent dangers, amount to a serious threat to public safety in Canada. Pleas such as the one made by Sudbury Regional Hospital will likely become more common as growing numbers of people experience first hand the devastation and trauma the vehicles can cause.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV injuries skyrocketing in rural Canada

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Kentucky leads the nation in the number of ATV-related fatalities. Records compiled by the state and federal governments reveal a dramatic upward swing in the number of ATV deaths in recent years. For the 23-year period spanning 1982 to 2004, a total of 299 ATV deaths were reported statewide. However, in 2006 alone, 367 ATV deaths were reported in Kentucky, and incomplete numbers for the following years show that ATV fatalities continue to escalate.

Tragically, about one-third of all the reported ATV deaths in Kentucky are children. Kentucky law requires all children 16 years old and under to wear helmets while on an ATV, at all times, regardless of whether the ATV is on public or private land. For adults, helmet use is optional. Unfortunately, many parents continue to disregard the helmet law and seat restraints, which effectively make a deadly machine even deadlier in the event of a collision or rollover.

Counties in Kentucky reporting the most deaths are Pike, Breathitt, Floyd, Harlan, Letcher, Clay, Leslie, Pulaski, Bell, Laurel, Perry, Trigg and Whitley.

Also topping the CPSC’s list of states with the most ATV deaths were California, Texas, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. ATV accidents are almost always higher in rural areas, where off-roading can be a way of life, whether for farm work, recreation, rural transportation, or all three.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Kentucky leads the nation in number of ATV deaths

Safety in any moving vehicle, be it a bicycle, boat, car, or ATV, begins with the driver. There are also some things passengers can do to protect themselves, such as using the seat restraints and wearing a helmet. But the fact remains that ATVs are exceptionally dangerous (many consumer and safety advocates argue they are excessively dangerous) forms of transportation in any circumstance.

On the night of August 8, 2009, 24-year-old Myles Virgil took 21-year-old Brenda Strizek, a native of Valparaiso, Nebraska, and two other passengers out for a ride in a Kawasaki ATV. While driving along a bike path, Virgil lost control of the vehicle. He and all three passengers were thrown from the vehicle as it rolled into a ditch. Strizek died at the scene.

Virgil has since been arrested and charged with unintentionally causing Strizek’s death by illegally operating a motor vehicle. Is this a case in which the driver is solely to blame? Or might the ATV also be at fault?

The Journal Star writes, “In a risk-averse age in which kids ride in massive car seats and are ordered by their parents to put on helmets for a bicycle ride down the block, there are odd exceptions to the public’s apparent obsession with safety.

A glaring example is the all-terrain vehicle.”

ATVs are fast, heavy, and unregulated motor vehicles. Some, as the Journal Star notes, can reach speeds in excess of 60 miles per hour and many, such as the Yamaha Rhino, weigh more than a thousand pounds. These characteristics leave little room for error. One bad move on an ATV and you could lose an arm, a leg, or possibly your life.

“In rural Nebraska, ATV accidents have become the leading cause of agricultural fatalities,” the Journal Star writes. “From 2004 through 2007, one-third of ag fatalities involved ATVs, which are handy for many tasks on farms and ranches, as well as for recreation.”

The escalating number of ATV accidents and injuries prompted the University of Nebraska to conduct ATV training sessions throughout the state last year. The trend in Nebraska represents the larger trend nationwide. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, serious ATV-related injuries have increased for eight consecutive years. At least 542 ATV fatalities have been reported in the U.S.

Every year, scores of people hop aboard as passengers without any knowledge of ATV safety, only to find themselves the unwitting victims of a serious accident. Children easily fall into this category. One third of ATV injures and deaths involve kids age 16 and younger.

A government website that compiles data relating to ATV injuries and fatalities strongly recommends that ATV owners not allow passengers on most ATV makes and models.

“ATVs are designed for interactive riding – drivers must be able to shift their weight freely in all directions, depending on situation and terrain. Passengers can make it very difficult to control the ATV,” the website says.

Source:  Journal Star

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › ATV fatality calls attention to offroading safety in Nebraska

Ralich’s 20-year-old son Steven discovered his father’s overturned ATV on the path near the field where he had been driving. Some time later he discovered his father laying unresponsive in the soybean rows. Emergency medical professionals from a LifeFlight helicopter attempted unsuccessfully to revive Ralich. They could not determine a time of death but estimate that Ralich likely died instantly from the multiple injuries he sustained in the accident.

According to the Chronicle-Telegram, the Lorrain County Sheriff’s Department is conducting an investigation and will forward the results to state safety officials. The County coroner, Paul Matus, told the paper that “there was some damage to the ATV from overturning, and there may have been some other issues with the machine.”

The accident is puzzling to authorities because Ralich was known a skilled and responsible driver, the terrain was flat where the accident occurred, and investigators believe that speed was not an issue.

The sheriff’s department is analyzing Ralich’s ATV for signs of mechanical failure, but they are also investigating whether Ralich may have hit an animal.

Besides his son Steven, Ralich leaves behind his wife Holly and their 23-year-old daughter Carla.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Ohio man’s death in atv rollover puzzles investigators

Jurors deliberated for about 2 hours before reaching their verdict.

During the trial, Mike Burleson, who works for System Engineering & Laboratories, testified on behalf of the plaintiffs. The engineering expert said that the Rhino’s narrow stance, high center of gravity, stiff suspension, and other characteristics amounted to problems with its lateral stability, meaning that it is prone to roll over even at speeds lower than 12 mph.

Many ATV enthusiasts applauded the jury’s decision, saying that it sets a precedent in Yamaha’s favor. But does it? Approximately 500 lawsuits have been brought against Yamaha by Rhino victims and their family members. The number of federal and state lawsuits continues to climb.

The case may not set a precedent for all Rhino lawsuits, but it may set a precedent for similar Rhino lawsuits – those that involve child drivers, especially if the children weren’t wearing safety helmets or seat belts. In such cases, Yamaha’s defense will undoubtedly have an easier time blaming operator error and perhaps the oversight of the parents.

Eddie Ray’s father, Johnny Ray, told the court that his son had years of experience riding ATVs and dirt bikes.

“If I’d thought it was dangerous, I’d have put a helmet on him,” he told the court. “I figured it was like a golf cart, the same thing I drove as a kid. Buckle up and it will keep you safe in there. I didn’t think I would be putting my son in danger,” Ray testified.

Eddie Ray’s tragic death will likely underscore how important it is for parents to take every possible precaution when allowing children to drive or ride in ATVs, especially ones known to have instability problems.

Basic physical restrictions should be followed, including wearing helmets and safety restraints, allowing minors to drive age-appropriate ATVs only, and staying off of paved roads. Additionally, some safety advocates recommend that parents also gauge their child’s intellectual and emotional maturity before allowing him or her to drive an ATV.

Even with all the safety measures taken, it’s still important for parents to realize that ATVs can still roll over, behave unpredictably or fail to keep occupants safe, even when driven responsibly.

For a guide to child safety and ATVs, click here.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Texas jury clears Yamaha in Rhino rollover case

“Parental supervision was present he had a helmet on and apparently he has ridden the ATV several times in the past,” Capt. Ron Luttrell of the Troy Police Department, told Fox 2 News of St. Louis, Ill. The boy’s father says that he suspects the throttle on the ATV jammed, causing his son to accelerate uncontrollably. The ATV hit a curb, throwing Austin into a tree, and then rolled into the side of a house where it burst into flames.

A neighbor performed CPR on Austin before an ambulance rushed him to a local hospital, but the boy succumbed to injuries he received in the accident. The Madison County Coroner’s Office says the cause of death was head and chest trauma.

Most consumer and safety advocates say that Chinese ATVs are poorly made and unsafe to drive. Austin was driving a SunL Cool Sport gas-powered four-wheeler at the time of the accident.

An attorney who has experience with cases involving Chinese ATVs told Fox 2 News that many consumers are attracted to the poorly made ATVs because of their low price and remain unaware about their risks.

“To hear about this child dying just breaks my heart because these Chinese made ATV’s are just accidents waiting to happen,” he told Fox 2 News.

According to the Fox report, Troy police who investigated the accident believe the parents took every precaution and that fault lays entirely on the manufacturer.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Illinois boy dies while riding Chinese-made ATV

Tyler Chase said that his wife Jennifer wanted to drive the family Rhino in November 2005. Tyler was a passenger as Jennifer drove with their 2-year-old son seated in the back. The family was traveling down a road in Rocky Point, Arizona, when Jennifer attempted to make a left turn and flipped the Rhino. The vehicle rolled over onto the driver’s side, causing Jennifer to hit her head on the roll cage. The impact killed Jennifer instantly.

Tyler suffered three skull fractures and a broken pelvis bone in the rollover, and he did not learn of his wife’s death until weeks after the accident when he regained consciousness.

“It was just overwhelming,” Tyler told KPHO. “I had lost a person that I loved.”

Tyler is raising his son, who is now 6 years old, on his own.

Tyler disagrees with Yamaha’s stance that all Rhino accidents are the result of driver error. “For Yamaha, I think they need to improve the vehicle,” Chase said. “I think they need to make it safer. Whatever they need to do to make it safer.”

The Consumer Products Safety Commission continues to closely monitor reports of injuries and death involving Yamaha Rhinos, especially rollovers that occur on flat surfaces and at low speed. In the U.S., the Rhino has been a factor in 59 deaths and 440 injuries.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › CBS Yamaha Rhino report prompts victim to recount rollover

An attorney for the plaintiffs told the jury that the company chose to put profits over people when it made the Rhino, a vehicle he described as a cross between a golf cart and an all-terrain vehicle.

“Yamaha knew for years it was a defective design and would roll over and kill people,” he told the courtroom. He also described the design flaws that many critics say make the vehicles unstable, namely their narrow track width, disproportionate height, and lack of a rear differential.

“It’s too small and too narrow and goes too fast to be safe,” he said.

Yamaha’s lawyers vigorously defended the Rhino, saying that they are safe when handled properly.

“Accidents and injuries occur because of the operator’s unsafe conduct,” one of Yamaha’s attorneys said in a sweeping statement that contradicted a body of evidence that shows Rhinos can easily roll over even when driven at low speeds and on flat terrain.

The Rhino’s propensity to roll over first came to light in July of 2002, when the vehicle was in its prototype stage and being test driven by Yamaha executives. That was when a Yamaha vice president injured his foot when the Rhino he was driving with a colleague rolled over. Company minutes obtained by CBS News showed that Keisuke “Casey” Yoshida, the President of Yamaha’s U.S. operations, requested an “update on instability of vehicle for future liability cases.”

Earlier this month, the Consumer Products Safety Commission issued a special advisory urging the owners of Rhinos and other all-terrain vehicles to exercise extreme caution while driving them this summer.

In March, the CPSC said it was investigating about 50 incidents involving the Yamaha Rhino, including 46 driver and passenger deaths. The announcement was made at the same time the agency issued a recall notice of all Yamaha models.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Jurors in first Rhino rollover case hear accusations against Yamaha

“As side-by-side recreational of-highway vehicles continue to gain in popularity, so does the number of reports to the [CPSC] of injuries and deaths involving these vehicles,” the reminder says, adding that roll cages and seat belts aren’t enough to prevent serious injuries or death from occurring in the event of a rollover or other accident.

“CPSC’s safety message is especially targeted at Yamaha Rhino drivers and passengers,” the advisory states.

The CPSC also took the opportunity to remind Rhino owners of the free safety upgrades and free helmet offer that Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. announced on March 31, 2009. The upgrades are offered on all Rhino models (450, 660, and 700) and are intended to reduce the Rhino’s propensity to roll over. Yamaha dealerships are not to sell new Rhinos without upgrading their inventory of vehicles first. Additionally, Rhino owners can get a $100 coupon for a new helmet by going to their dealership and watching a Rhino safety video.

“CPSC believes that in order to provide a safer ride, all Rhinos must have half-doors, additional passenger handholds, spacers on the rear wheels, and the rear anti-sway bar removed. Consumers should immediately stop using Rhino ROVs until the repairs are installed by a dealer,” the advisory states.

“While these repairs will improve the safety of these vehicles, the repairs alone are not enough,” the CPSC announcement added.

To mitigate the risk of a rollover or other accident, the CPSC recommended that Rhino drivers and passengers:

• wear their seat belt properly every time
• strap on their helmet every time
• follow on-product warnings
• never remove the half-doors
• never allow a child younger than 16 to drive
• never allow a child to be a passenger if he/she is unable to place both feet on the floorboard with his/her back against the seat
• only operate off-road—the Rhino is not designed for use on public roads or paved surfaces.

The CPSC also said that as of June 23, 2009, the agency received nearly 60 fatality reports involving Rhinos. “A number of very serious injuries have also been reported, including injuries to the head and neck, and incidents requiring surgical amputation of victims’ arms, legs, and fingers. Many of these cases appear to have involved rollovers at relatively low speeds and on level terrain,” the CPSC said.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › CPSC reminds Rhino riders to exercise caution this summer