Okay, it's going to be an eventful ride. But before you get on this
Yamaha Rhino, the company needs to put a spacer on the rear wheels, remove an anti-sway bar, add extra handholds, and install a half door so you don't go flying out if the thing rolls over. Because nearly 60 people have died and hundreds have been injured, some seriously, on three models of this vehicle.
Recreational Off-Highway Vehicles (ROVs) are relatively new on the scene, but that's apparently been plenty of time to do some damage. We've written about their risks in the past. They're similar to All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), though they allow occupants to sit side-by-side, have a steering column instead of handlebars, and usually feature a roll-cage and seat belts. But
unlike ATVs, these vehicles are not required to meet any safety standards. That started to change today when regulators finally made a move and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) voted to start the process of setting mandatory safety standards.
ROVs trail behind ATVs, which (at long last) became subject to mandatory safety standards in April. (See "
Standard for All Terrain Vehicles.") Those rules say that ATV makers and sellers must file an "Action Plan" with the CPSC laying out a safety-related strategy for their ATVs that includes owner's manuals, warning labels, training programs, and appropriate age recommendations.
Standards can't come too soon. Just today, the CPSC announced a recall of certain
Bad Boy Buggy vehicles. The $10,000 doorless, windowless vehicles have garnered 32 reports of unexpected acceleration that have caused a variety of of injuries.
Bad Boy, indeed.
