Earlier this week we featured J.T. Crow, a 9-year-old boy who died when the Yamaha Rhino he was a passenger in rolled onto its side, throwing him from the ATV and pinning him underneath its unpadded roll cage. Since the accident, which occurred in June 2007, J.T.’s mother, Heidi Crow, embarked on a mission to “help save others from a tragic fate like J.T.’s.”

ACCORDING TO THE PRESS RELEASE: One result of Ms. Crow’s work is the “Citizen Report on UTV Vehicle Hazards,” a compilation of information, statistics, and evidence underscoring the dangers of the Yamaha Rhino and other utility terrain vehicles (UTVs). Ms. Crow collaborated with family members of other Rhino victims, the Trauma Foundation, and the Center for Auto Safety in publishing the report, which is dedicated to the memory of J.T.

“The Yamaha Rhino and some of the other sport-based UTVs have a much greater propensity to roll over than any passenger vehicle or truck on the road,” the report states in its opening. “There are, however, no governmental minimum safety performance standards currently applicable to these vehicles,” the report says.

The authors believe that “such standards are vitally important to prevent occupants from being seriously injured during rollover. Yamaha Rhinos lacking adequate occupant protection have injured, maimed or killed literally hundreds of consumers.”

The report was released to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the Recreational Off Highway Vehicle Association (ROHVA), and key members of Congress.

“Utility Terrain Vehicles have fallen within a regulatory crevice. These vehicles were introduced to the market and have been sold to consumers without having to meet government safety and performance standards. It is imperative that federal and/or state safety agencies step forward to protect consumers from the growing number of fatalities and severe injuries,” said Ms. Crow in releasing the report.

The report focuses on the safety defects of the Rhino that make it one of the most dangerous UTVs in the world. It also identifies 38 people who lost their lives in Rhino accidents.

“A national tragedy is occurring. Scores of adults, teenagers, and children have been left permanently disabled after their hands, arms, feet, and legs have been crushed in Yamaha Rhino rollovers, and many innocent children have been killed,” Ms. Crow said.

“We call upon Yamaha and other UTV manufacturers to incorporate key safety features necessary to protect occupants from accidents, injuries, and deaths.”

The report calls for many improvements to the Rhino, including better occupant containment methods so that passengers remain inside the vehicle during a rollover; supplementary safety restraints such as partial doors, padded roll cages, and netting; effective seat belt restraint systems that comply with US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards; improved stability and handling; and other safety upgrades.

The entire report can be viewed here.

SOURCE: http://www.yamaharhinorolloverandrecall.com/news_articles/2009/20090227-press.htm

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Families devastated by Rhino rollovers release safety report

Heading back to his family’s campsite, Johnson turned the Rhino when it suddenly flipped. At some point during the accident Bithell’s left leg protruded from the vehicle. The half-ton vehicle flipped over onto the driver’s side, shattering the lower half of Bithell’s leg.

Bithell has undergone three surgeries and skin grafts since the rollover occurred on February 18, 2007. Despite the medical procedures, however, Bithell’s leg remains severely disfigured and he continues to experience pain on a daily basis.

While Bithell’s injuries remind him that one’s life can change dramatically in a flash, they are also an unfortunate memento of how exceedingly dangerous Yamaha Rhinos can be, even when riders take the proper precautions to prevent injuries. Bithell was wearing a seatbelt when the Rhino tipped, yet the vehicle’s frame failed to contain Bithell’s leg. Instead, the bare roll cage ripped through his skin and muscle and shattered his leg.

The Rhino’s design does not take into consideration that the limbs of the riders easily protrude from the vehicle in a rollover. Hundreds of injuries similar to Bithell’s and at least 36 deaths resulting from Yamaha Rhino accidents have been reported nationwide.

The Rhino’s inherent danger and instability come from a number of poor elements in the vehicles design. Rhinos possess a high center of gravity. The top heavy ATVs also have a steering geometry that performs poorly with the vehicle’s narrow track width and small wheels, making them prone to turn over even when traveling at low speeds and on flat terrain.

Bithell’s suit was filed in an Orange County court. The Yamaha Motor Corporation headquarters are located in the Orange County city of Cypress.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › California man injured in Rhino rollover sues Yamaha

Lauren Dilworth and Emily Bates were riding the Yamaha Rhino in the Lewisburg area when the tires are believed to have caught on the pavement, resulting in its overturn.

Both girls’ torsos and heads were injured during the crash; Dilworth died on the scene while Bates died in the emergency room.

DeSoto County Sheriff, Bill Rosco, believes the accident may have been avoided if the Yamaha Rhino would have remained off the road as state law requires.

With the history of Yamaha Rhinos causing countless accidents, you can’t know for sure.

SOURCE: Yamaha Rhino Rollover › Girls die in yamaha rhino accident