The Dangers of Off-Roading

There is an increasing concern over the unregulated use of recreational off-road motor vehicles. A review of 207 patients admitted to a hospital over a 5-year period, as well as deaths due to the use of recreational vehicles, elicited the following information.

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The following measures should be taken in an effort to reduce these types of accident:

• Stricter licensing requirements should be implemented;
• Public education is required to draw attention to the danger of these vehicles, particularly among children;
• Proper safety equipment and driver training should be enforced; and
• Vehicle design must also be addressed by the industries concerned.

Recreational accidents predominantly involved men in their mid-twenties. Children younger than 16 years were more frequently involved in recreational vehicle accidents and constituted more than one-third of the total. There was a nine-fold increase in RV accidents over the study period, so that by 1985 RVs were the primary cause of off-road injuries (52%). The musculoskeletal system was most frequently injured (66%) followed by the head and face (25%). There was permanent disability in 10.6% of the cases, and 33% of the recreational deaths were in children younger than 16 years. The inherent instability of RVs was confirmed by the finding that, in 60% of accidents, the vehicle had rolled or flipped.

Have you or someone you know been involved in a recreational vehicle accident? Contact an RV Accident Attorney in your area to get help with your case today!

With the numbers of recreational vehicles in use increasing yearly, safety has become a prime concern. RV defects are an issue that clearly must be addressed in order to reduce the number of injuries and deaths caused by these vehicles. If you or a loved one has been injured in a recreational vehicle accident, speak with a product liability lawyer as soon as possible.