The Side by Side is a small 2-person or 4 person four-wheel drive off-road vehicle, also called UTV (Utility Task Vehicle) or ROV (Recreational Off highway Vehicle) [1].
The majority of the side by sides come factory equipped with a ROPS, or roll over protection system. Many of the vehicles also come equipped with hard tops, windshields, and even cab enclosures.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission stated in 2009 that "The vehicles "may exhibit inadequate lateral stability, undesirable steering characteristics, and inadequate occupant protection during a rollover crash". According to the CPSC between 2003 and August 2009 116 deaths occurred in ROV/UTV accidents [2].
Notable manufacturers of UTV / Side by side vehicles:
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