Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has released a new report called “All-Terrain Vehicles: How They Are Used, Crashes, and Sales of Adult-Sized Vehicles for Children’s Use.” The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which is responsible for monitoring ATV safety and federal rulemaking affecting the manufacturing, sale and use of the vehicles, requires GAO to report on the various uses and advantages of ATVs and the nature, frequency and costs associated with ATV crashes.

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A 22-year-old student helicopter pilot was killed early Sunday morning when the all-terrain vehicle she was driving rolled over. Reports say that Aura Corina Dacin, who friends described as a free spirit, “wild child” and thrill seeker, was driving the ATV at Oakland-Troy Airport in Troy, Michigan, when the rollover occurred. 

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A four-year-old boy was found dead last Saturday night in a creek bed after the all-terrain vehicle he was driving flipped, pinning him underneath. According to initial reports, the boy was last seen playing outside with a group of children on his parents’ property in Frederick County, Maryland, before he wandered off on his own and got on the Polaris Predator 50cc ATV, a model designed for children. 

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According to the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recently published all-terrain vehicle data “appears to indicate that the numbers of deaths and injuries caused by ATVs declined in 2008 as compared to 2007.”

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January was a deadly month across North America for teenagers riding all-terrain vehicles. ATV accidents are responsible for hundreds of deaths and thousands of serious injuries each year. Especially alarming is the growing number of accidents involving children and teenagers, who account for a third of all injuries and fatalities linked to ATV crashes.

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The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission announced a recall of about 8,500 Polaris all-terrain vehicles for defects that may pose a crash hazard. According to the CPSC, Polaris Industries of Medina, Minn., has received 19 reports of incidents involving the recalled 2009 and 2010 model-year ATVs.

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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced today that it intends to further its commitment to improve the safety of Recreational Off-Highway Vehicles (ROVs) and reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries nationwide that are related to these vehicles. The commission voted to publish an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPR) to address safety hazards associated with vehicle ROVs.

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Yamaha Rhino safety upgrades urged by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission back in March weren’t enough to save the life of 13-year-old James Wyatt Spencer of Knox, N.Y., who died last week when the 450 he was driving rolled over.

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The Desert Sun of Palm Springs, California reported the death of a 31-year-old man who was killed when the Yamaha Rhino he was driving rolled over. Juan Carlos Camarillo, a resident of Garden Grove, Calif., was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Five others were also injured, including one who was airlifted to the hospital in critical condition.

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Australia’s Daily Telegraph reports that Yamaha Australia is not extending the same Rhino UTV “voluntary repair program” to Australians that it did to Americans. On March 31, Yamaha America and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission jointly announced that all Rhino customers should return their vehicles to their dealerships for a series of safety upgrades. Additionally, Yamaha instructed its dealerships to cease selling any new Rhino inventory until those upgrades were made.

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