Finally New Safety Rules for Off-Road Vehicles

Vehicular accidents aren’t just limited to our roads and streets. As an automobile and vehicular accident attorney, I see many cases involving so called “off highway” or “off road” vehicles such as 4x4s and All-Terrain-Vehicles (ATVs). These accidents can be incredibly harmful, and even fatal, to the operators and passengers of these vehicles.  One of the biggest dangers, vehicular rollover (ROV), has been the cause of deaths and paralysis for hundreds of riders.

Thankfully, the US Consumer Product Safety Commission is finally doing something about this long recognized danger to off road riders. In a 3 to 2 vote this past October, the Commission approved moving forward with rules attempting to regulate these vehicles, putting minimum handling and stability standards in place, as well as safety controls such as speed limiters for non-seat belt applications.

But, not everyone is happy with the vote. The off-highway vehicle association, as well as a number of U.S Senators, are openly opposing the rules, stating that they were “extremely disappointed” in the vote, as the rules may limit manufacturers’ ability to “design vehicles to safely provide the level of performance that is expected by off-highway vehicle enthusiasts”

I for one, don’t buy it. The off-highway vehicle association and this small group of Senators are obviously just protecting their own interests and not the interests of the public at large. Roll Over injuries and fatalities have been an issue for years with off-highway vehicles, and I’m surprised it’s even taken them this long to address the issue. Increasing safety and saving lives should be a priority for all companies and individuals. I know, we are Americans, and we have the God given right to risk breaking our necks in any way we see fit, however I think that opposition to safety rules as fundamental as these is getting absolutely ridiculous. If it means saving lives, I fully support the movement for stricter rules and regulations around these vehicles. It costs money to make a product safer, however in the long run, the additional cost is greatly outweighed by the decreased injuries and fatalities and thereby the decreased productivity of our nation. Making products safer IS GOOD BUSINESS.

Hello, I’m Claude Wyle, a San Francisco automobile accident attorney. Have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered here? Feel free to contact me or visit www.ccwlawyers.com