Some law firms give the impression that the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a safety recall on Yamaha Rhinos when in fact it was Yamaha that issued a voluntary recall/repair in response to lawsuits.
Hundreds of federal and state government agencies, emergency services and law enforcement personnel are using Yamaha Rhinos every day because they are safe and reliable.
Yamaha Rhino Under the Gun
© Yamaha
Because of the wide popularity of the Yamaha Rhino, it has the dubious honor of being the favorite target for litigious attacks by less than scrupulous attorneys.
One attorney's web site goes so far as to claim that Yamaha may be responsible for accidents no mater HOW they happened:
If you have been injured in a Rhino rollover incident,no matter how it occurred, you may have a claim against the manufacturer.
Another claims Yamaha has not issued a recall, even though they have:
Though it has been prove that a defect in the design causes Yamaha Rhino rollover problems, the company still has not issued a recall.
The CPSC Did Not Issue a Recall, Yamaha Issued a Voluntary Repair
© Matt Finley
Some attorney web sites are giving the impression that the CPSC issued a safety recall on Yamaha Rhino SxS. They did not.
Yamaha issued a voluntary Rhino repair by adding wheel spacers to the rear and removing the rear anti-sway bar. This will make it a little less likely to flip over.
The CPSC reports that many of the accidents occurred while the driver and/or occupants were not wearing the safety restraints, which resulted in injury. In testimonials on some web sites they even state that the Rhinos were being used by people under 16 while not using safety equipment.
Both Yamaha and the CPSC advise people to use helmets, restraints, common sense, and be at least 16 to drive the Rhino.
Why Just Rhinos?
© Matt Finley
There are several SxS models from several manufacturers. Rhinos have proven as safe as any and safer than some. So why don't we see other manufacturers getting sued? Probably because of its popularity.
Because of that popularity, many people use the word Rhino to describe SxS in general. They use Rhino is a type of ATV instead of what it really is; a model name. Kind of like the way Google is something you do to a word, not just the name of a search engine.
The focus seems to be on Yamaha because their popularity makes them an easy target for lawyers, even though less than one percent of Yamaha Rhino owners have incidents.
ATV Safety is up to You
© Matt Finley
ATV safety, like everything you do, boils down to being your responsibility. If you ride fast and take chances your odds of getting into an accident greatly increase. So be prepared and wear your helmet and safety restraints.
If you're new to riding ATVs, you need to realize they're not toys that you can just hop on and go. Like any kind of motorsports, you need to learn how to operate an ATV safely or you risk potential injury or death.
If you're a parent you should realize that your child's safety is up to you, they don't know better. The CPSC is not going to be there to tell your kids that, even though they shouldn't even be driving the Rhino to begin with, they need slow down and wear their safety equipment. That's up to you.
