New ROV Safety Program Aims to Prevent Accidents

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I never thought I'd go off-roading in New York City, but that's what I found myself doing on a sunny Wednesday afternoon on Randall's Island, that stretch of land in the East River between Manhattan and Queens and below the Bronx. Better yet, if I had gone on Tuesday, I could have gone off-roading with David Alan Grier of "In Living Color" fame. Apparently he's a big fan of recreational off-highway vehicles. Who knew?

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The reason myself and Mr. Grier had traveled to the Randall's Island was to participate in a new ROV training program developed by the Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle Association (ROHVA). The main impetus of having the course in the middle of NYC was to gain some media attention for the program (ding, ding), but these vehicles have become hugely popular across the U.S. in recent years.

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While motorcycle and ATV sales took a hit during the recession, the ROV market, which really got started in 2004 with the Yamaha Rhino, took off, according to Paul C. Vitrano, executive vice president of ROHVA. From 2010 to 2011, sales were up 10 percent. Considering the vehicles I trained with cost $10,000-$15,000, that's more than a little surprising. For comparison, a base Chevy Sonic starts a smidge under 15 grand.

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But you know what a Sonic can't (or shouldn't) do? Climb stuff. And that's why ROVs are so much fun. They're like mini Jeeps. They come in a wide variety of flavors, and with 7-11 inches of travel on the typical ROV suspension, these souped up UTVs can pretty much go anywhere. This makes them perfect vehicles for outdoor sports, getting around a large farm or ranch, or general recreation. Plus they're fast. One of the vehicles I drove had a top speed of 75 mph. Considering there's just a roll cage called a ROPS?rollover protection system?a seatbelt, and maybe some netting to protect you, that borders on terrifying.

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Unsurprisingly, as ROV popularity has risen, so have the accidents?and lawsuits. Most incidents involve the vehicle flipping, and according to Vitrano, 90 percent of the time people aren't wearing seatbelts or helmets when these accidents occur. There's also the problem of people allowing young children unable to secure themselves ride along. ROHVA hopes its safety program will help combat these issues.

So far, ROHVA has about 50 driver coaches or driver coach trainers sprinkled throughout the States. A primer is available online, and the driver coaches teach two separate courses. The Basics course will cost between 50 and 100 dollars per student (prices may vary), contains six separate lessons, and takes between two and three hours depending on the size of the class. The advanced class is called the Open Trail Experience (OTE) and has 7 courses. The OTE will cost a bit more and take a little longer than the Basics course, but it also involves lessons for driving on slippery sands, water crossing, and even rock climbing. Both classes provide certification upon completion.

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Considering I'd never been in an ROV, I was the perfect candidate for the Basics course. Once I had my helmet and gloves and put on something with long sleeves (ROHVA safety staples), my driving coach gave me a rundown of the machine and its capabilities. Then we began a series of exercises that slowly got me acquainted with how the vehicle operates and handles. We switched between two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive, practiced backing up, and even did a little rock climbing?emphasis on little. Still, it was pretty fun to simultaneously feather the gas and brake to get the tires to rest on top of the obstacles. I can only imagine what it must be like to negotiate boulders.

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In case you hit a surprise bump, the coaches tell you to not loop your thumbs in the crook of the wheel and to only use shuffle or hand-over-hand turning rather than crossing your arms. Apparently a sudden jolt is enough to break a thumb and even cause arm injuries. The other major rule is keep all limbs inside the ROPS. All of these vehicles come with various grips and handles for the passenger, so that's pretty easy to follow. The hardest part was remembering to keep your hand inside the ROPS when backing up.

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The last lesson in the Basics course is a trail ride. Given our location, it was somewhat limited in scope, but thanks to a recent rain we were able to get the vehicles a little dirty and hit several different types of terrain. And as it happens, curbs make perfectly good shock testers at high speeds. What surprised me the most was how sturdy the vehicles felt and how quickly the engine braking kicks in when you let off the gas.

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All in all, the Basics course did exactly what it promised and was well worth the time. I'll probably even take the OTE class if I get the chance. Granted it was a just a taste, but I'm already itching to hit some tails that don't have the Manhattan skyline visible in the distance.

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