CPSC Reports that Off-Highway Vehicle Deaths Have Increased by 33%

Off-highway vehicle use typically increases during the summer months. Recently, the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued its annual report about rising off-highway deaths and injuries. Among other things, the report revealed that minors under age 16, as well as adults between the ages of 45 and 54 have higher death rates in off-highway vehicles. Overall, there was a 33% increase in off-highway vehicle deaths in 2020 compared to 2019—these were the two most recent years for which there was data. Males were disproportionately affected. The CPSC chair Alex Hoehn-Saric has asked that safe riding be put first and that riders should wear a helmet with proper gear.

Call Moll Law Group About Your Off-Highway Vehicle Lawsuit

The CPSC report asks rider to take appropriate steps to avoid collisions. Leading causes of death in off-highway vehicles were crashes with other vehicles and stationary objects like trees. Often the occupants of vehicles would be thrown out of the vehicle during these collisions.

The report also informs us that children under age 12 constituted 44% of fatalities of children under 16. Additionally, adults older than 55 were affected; they made up 30% of related deaths.

Certain states had more off-highway vehicle deaths than others: California, Florida, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. These states together had ¼ of all the fatalities. All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) were involved in more than 2/3 of deaths arising out of these off-highway vehicles.

From 2018-2022, around 504,400 injuries treated in the emergency department of hospitals were linked to off-highway vehicles. The most common problems for which patients were seen were internal organ injuries, contusions, fractures, and abrasions. Around 76% of those patients were treated and then released from the department.

Since January 2023, the CPSC has recalled 24 off-highway vehicles due to safety concerns. It has recommended consumers get trained by a qualified instructor, not ride with more passengers than seats, stay off paved roads and public roads (except when crossing in line with the law), and no use of alcohol while before or while driving. Consumers have been told to wear protective gear, including helmets, eye protection, long pants, gloves, boots, and long-sleeved shirts. As a parent, it’s important to be aware that the riders under age 16 should only drive youth models that are in line with their ages, not adult models.

In some cases, off-highway vehicle deaths and injuries are the result of a defective vehicle. Vehicles may be defective in terms of their manufacturing, design, or marketing. Manufacturing defects are flaws in how the vehicle is made; generally they are one-offs in which certain batches deviate from the specifications for the product. Design defects are flaws that exist in all the units. Marketing defects are flaws in the written materials that come with the product or a failure to warn of dangers.

When our attorneys can successfully establish a defect and liability for an off-highway vehicle accident, we may be able to recover compensatory damages on your behalf. Sometimes multiple parties are to blame, such as a negligent driver, along with a manufacturer defect in the vehicle, and in those cases, it may become important to figure out the percentages of fault for each responsible party so that damages may be sought from all responsible parties.

If you or a loved one were harmed in an off-highway vehicle accident, it is crucial to call  the seasoned Chicago-based product liability lawyers of Moll Law Group about your legal options. Our firm represents injured people in lawsuits around the country. Please complete our online form or call us at 312.462.1700.