Trendy Off-Road Vehicle Poses Deadly Risk

CBS News Investigation Reveals More Than 400 Death and Injury Lawsuits Related to Yamaha Rhino

(CBS)  It's like a muscle-car for the backcountry - the hottest trend in off-road vehicles. But a four-month CBS News investigation has found evidence that the popular Yamaha Rhino doesn't need to be busting over tough terrain to be dangerous.

"The Yamaha Rhino started to rock and it tipped over on my left side, crushing my wrist," said Justin Miller, who lost his left hand after a Rhino accident in May of 2008.

Miller says he wasn't jumping sand dunes or careening around corners - just driving less than 15 miles per hour on flat ground when his 1,100-pound Rhino rolled over.

Miller told CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian that he was wearing a helmet, belted in and that he didn't break any rules.

Yamaha disputes that, citing a police report saying Justin was driving 20 miles an hour down a hill and hit a rock.

The Rhino has been a runaway hit in the off-road market since its introduction in 2003; more than 150,000 have been sold to date. It turns out no one tracks exactly how many people have been injured while riding in these recreational vehicles.

But CBS News has learned of at least 440 Rhino-related death and injury lawsuits across the U.S. - including Justin Miller's.

Miller said that if the rider were leaning left on a Rhino, "it would tip over."

The Consumer Product Safety Commission cites hundreds of reported injuries - including broken bones, crushed legs, arms and heads - often on level ground at relatively low speeds. The commission also cites a disturbing number of deaths.

"The public needs to be aware that already 59 people have been killed in these vehicles," said Inez Tenenbaum, head of the CPSC. "It's very high risk. This vehicle has a high center of gravity and it will turn over."

Last March the CPSC and Yamaha agreed to a voluntary "free repair" program. Yamaha temporarily suspended sales of all Rhino models and agreed to make a series of repairs to improve handling and reduce injuries. The CPSC told people to follow Yamaha safety guidelines, finding many cases of unbelted riders.

Still the new head of the CPSC says her agency's investigation is far from over.

"We'll continue to look at this, and if we have to take stronger measures, we will," Tenenbaum said.

Yamaha Motor Corp, which did $16 billion in sales overall last year, fiercely defends the Rhino. It argues virtually all accidents are caused by operator error - ignoring safety warnings, driving too fast on pavement, or failing to wear seat belts or helmets.

"I think there's just a lot of people out there who give people like me - my family - bad names and give these machines bad names," said Rhino rider Darren Thau. "There's a lot of stupid people."

Yet one video shows a Yamaha dealer employee moving a Rhino from one part of a dealership to another when it tips over.

Yamaha Dealership Employee Tips Rhino

Watch CBS Videos Online

Turns out, the potential for rollovers was well known to Yamaha executives. According to documents obtained by CBS News, just 15 months before its introduction at a testing ground in Kentucky, two riders rolled over in a prototype for the Rhino. The driver: a Yamaha president at the time. His passenger: the vice president in charge of Rhino Development who sustained a foot injury.

Today there are no safety standards for these so-called "side-by-side" vehicles. Right now, the industry is drafting a set of voluntary ones. Tenenbaum says that may not be enough.

"With the number of deaths that have already occurred, we're even thinking we should go to mandatory standards," Tenenbaum said.

Yamaha wouldn't provide someone to speak with us on camera so we went to their headquarters in Southern California. But despite repeated requests company lawyers ultimately decided not to let anyone speak to us on camera.

Yamaha did provide several off-camera interviews and answers to written questions. In statements to CBS News, Yamaha said: The Rhino "...is a safe, reliable and versatile vehicle...." and "...has won virtually every 'first-in-class award' and top safety ratings… and that the vehicles have been tested for thousands of hours and perform with a high level of customer satisfaction."

Certainly not for customer Justin Miller.

"A lot of people and a lot of kids before me have died," he said. "And if we had known that, we would have never bought this product."

Now, after seven surgeries, 17-year-old Justin Miller is on his way to college to study pre-med, hoping one day to become a doctor, specializing in prosthetics.

YouTube video of Rhino spill on sand


YouTube video shows Rhino spill in mud

[rhinoman66834]

If you can't drive it, stay the hell out of it, god I'm tired of hearing about all of these lawsuits, from these ambulance chasing lawyers. Maybe yamaha ought to have a driving course for these idiots, or just look at them, you can usually tell by looking at people if they're gonna be able to handle it. LEARN HOW TO DRIVE CITY SLICKERS!!!! YOU BETTER NOT TAKE MY RHINO!!!!!!!

[mcIver10]

the only reason people are flipping these rhinos and killing themselves or injuring themselves is they dont know what there doin! like that idiot driving that rhino on the PAVEMENT toolin around mind you with no helmet and looks to be no seatbelt on then he makes a sharp turn on PAVEMENT....JACKA**. i cant even explain how pi**ed off this makes me, its just idiots lookin for attention and a reason to sue!

[iluvrhinos]

My family owns a yamaha dealership, I own a rhino myself. I am not mentally challenged so I have never flipped my rhino over. I can guarantee I drive my rhino more reckless than everyone else does. If your not half a retard you would know you can't crank the wheel on pavement with off-road tires because they will dig in stupid!!!! Thank you to all the half wit jackass retards that are trying to ruin my fun like everything fun I do that you get a thrill from. Go to hell. O and if you knew anything you would know the rhino is tested safer than most other side by sides they just sold the most. The consumer protection agency told yamaha to take off the anti-sway bar to make it feel more dangerous therefor people will drive slower. Good plan your just as dumb as the people flipping them.

[anniesu]

We have owned a Rhino since they first came out. We have taken it on some pretty steep, dangerous, rough areas, but we drive with causion and have never had a problem. If you drive recklessly with anything you will have an accident. Common sense is needed with any of these off road vehicles. A quad in my opinion is more dangerous than any side by side. I believe the problem is people don't want to take the responsibility for their own stupidity. Everyone is sue happy!!

[derwud]

Wow, way to erase negative comments about this story...

[dashiedj]

The bottom line on this story is people always want someone else to be resposible for their own stupidity!! I could go out and roll my truck over right now if I wanted to. These machines like all power sports units only do what the driver tells it to do. There is nothing inherently wrong with the Yamaha Rhino. I have put many hours in driving this same machine and have rolled it over once but that was because I was doing 360 spins. It was my fault not the machines. A no. 2 pencil can be deadly if used improperly. BOO to CBS for letting a bunch of half wit repoters cover a story they know nothing about and knocking a vehicle they have never driven. The Yamaha Rhino is a world class machine but it is not a toy!!!

[scalded777]

I AM AN OWNER OF A RHINO AND THEY ARE GREAT FOR HAULING STUFF AROUND,AND A GREAT LITTLE RIDE TO HAVE, BUT AS STATED IN PREVIOUS COMMENTS EVERY VIDEO OF THE ROLL OVERS ARE FROM TURNING TO QUICK OR SHARP OR DOING DUMB A** STUFF EVEN THE ONE WHERE THE COMPANY FLIPPED IT, THIS PERSON HAD TO TURN TO SHARP. THIS IS THE SAME OLE SAME OLE WHERE IF YOU DO STUPID STUFF THEN YOU WILL GET HURT, THESE ARE NOT TOYS, NOT TOYS , NOT A FOUR WHEELER OR A MOTOCYCLE, AND SHOULD BE DROVE BY PEOPLE WITH COMMON SENSE. I HAVE A 10 YEAR OLD LITTLE BOY, AND WHEN WE FIRST GOT OURS YOU COULDNOT TELL HIM NOTHING HE ENDED UP TIPPING THIS ONE OVER IN A BIG SAND PIT IT SLOWLY ROLLED OVER ON ITS SIDE,LUCKLY HE DIDNOT DIE OR WASN,T INJURIED, BUT HE WAS DOING SOME THING STUPID DOUGHNUTS, AFTER REPEATED BEING TOLD NOT TO DO IT THANK GOD HE HAD CHURNED UP THE SAND SO BAD IT JUST SLOWLY LAID OVER YEA HE GOT A GOOD OLD FASHION TALKING TO AND A SWITCHING. BUT NOW HE RARELY GETS ON IT AND NOW KNOWS THE LESSON OF STUPID STUFF CAN KILL YOUR A**. MY HEART GOES OUT TO ALL THE FAMILIES THAT HAVE LOST SOMEONE AND WHO HAS AN INJURY FROM AN ACCIDENT,BUT YOU CANT BLAME THE MAKER WHEN THE REAL PROBLEM WAS A SHORT BETWEEN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE SEAT, MEANING WE ARE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR USING GOOD JUDGEMENT WHEN OPERATING ANY TYPE OF MACHINERY

[yamahatim]

CBS should be embarrassed with this report. The lack of full reporting and sensationalism for a "juicy" story is an example of how media can mis-report and spin a story that harms or destoys the reputation of a company or an individual. Of the 59 deaths, how many people were not belted in, not wearing a helmet, modified or removed the overhead bars, modified the machine, had more people in the vehicle than it was designed for? Where is that part of this report? It is sad when someone loses a life or gets injured in any situation. However, when an individual uses a product for what it was not intended, or does not follow safe and, forgive me for saying, COMMON SENSE guidelines, injury or death is always a probability. 59 deaths of over 150,000 sold is .0004%. As sad as that is, that's less of a percentage than the amount of pedestrians killed crossing the street. If you can't swim, don't blame the water.

Another part of this article that bothers me is how the young man that lost his hand did NOT tell the whole truth. You can clearly see in the police report, not only was the speed 20 mph (not 15 mph) and hitting the rock, but there also a reference to a right turn that was not mentioned in this report. So why not report and tell the truth?

If this was a supposed 4 month report, CBS should be ashamed and embarrased for the lack of information, truth and integrity 4 months worth of work produced...or in my opinion, did not produce. CBS has lost my trust in truthful reporting and honest journalism.

[sldactt]

More paternalism. What is next, roll cages for skateboards, motorcycles? Shall we bubble wrap skydivers.

Lets try less government.

[jh6781]

You know when I watched this newscast last night almost every video they played about the Rhino was of people doing stupid stuff on them. Go blazing up a hill and try to run over a log in the process and keep gunning it and see what happens. You'll flip the friggin' thing over. Drive it on pavement, (which it is not meant to be driven on) and then cut the wheel one way or the other and you'll flip it over sideways even faster. This unit is no different than anything else. You have to drive it with caution and have experience in handling it. Most people that have the wrecks don't have enough experience and end up wrecking or flipping them in rough terrain. Just another classic example of ridiculous reporting from our typical US media.

[sxssexy1]

Well stated millsfm4. Isn't it amazing how the news and CPSC rep Tenenbaum failed to mention that more than 99 percent of Rhino owners use the product without incident. This is according to website http://truthaboutrhino.com/index.php/rhino-and-the-cpsc. Also visit this above website for Yamaha's response to the CBS evening news story. I will continue to ride Yamaha and will continue to use my Rhino!!!!!!!

[millsfm4]

Way to do your homework. This is the most popular UTV on the market. Of course the numbers are higher. But lets get serious here, would you get into a car or let your kids drive with out nowing how to operate? I don't think so. We have had our rhino on all sorts of terrain, at high rates of speed with out ever coming close to rolling it. Heres a thought, take your car to a dirt road, get it to 35 or 45 miles per hour and turn the wheel as sharp as you can without touching the brake. What do you think will happen?, the fault lies with the operator not the machine.
Put a gun in somebodies hand without proper training and most likely someone will be hurt. Run your car into a brick wall just because you know it has an airback, you shouldn't get hurt right.

THERE IS NOTHING COMMON ABOUT SENSE!

[cepe10-2009]

This is not even close to the most popular atv on the market and the statistics do not lie this unit is a death trap. Thank goodness for reporting of CBS to bring it to attention

[cw610]

Cepe...Um, actually it IS probably the most popular UTV on the market (how much do you even know about this industry?)...and statistics do NOT lie - I see that .0004% of units sold were involved in an accident that resulted in a death. I wish that I had those odds every morning when I got in my car to drive to work.......

[notacarlo]

This is great! Perfect waste of bandwidth. I applaud you. Turn in anything at a high rate of speed and see what happens. Especially with a high center of gravity.

You guys are reporting on physics...and how you think it is wrong.

The employee was clearly staring to accelerate when he attempted a sharp turn. If he didn't see that coming, he shouldn't be driving it.

[Brett248Vista]

Great piece of sensationalism! I'm reminded of the trike ban oh so many years ago, the ban that came from this kind of negative reporting, even though there were countless thousands of us, who by some miracle managed not to die.

You do realize that if you drive any motorized vehicle improperly you can cause serious bodily injury to yourself and others, and even possibly death. No amount of sensationalism will protect us from ourselves, nor will more warning stickers. Many will own these and never have an issue, and others will die, maybe because of improper use, and that's life.