The side-by-side (often written as SxS) is a small 2- to 6-person four-wheel drive off-road vehicle, also called UTV (utility vehicle or utility task vehicle), a ROV (recreational off-highway vehicle), [1] or a MOHUV (multipurpose off-highway utility vehicle). [2]
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 Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) defines multipurpose off-highway utility vehicles (MOHUVs) as vehicles with: "(a) four or more wheels, (b) a steering wheel, (c) non-straddle seating, and (d) maximum speeds between 25 mph and 50 mph. In addition, MOHUVs have foot controls for throttle and braking, occupant restraints, and rollover protective structures." MOHUVs with maximum speeds in excess of 30 mph meet the Consumer Product Safety Commission definition of an ROV. Recreational off-highway vehicles are subject to additional safety standards including "visual seat belt usage reminders; leg/foot barriers; shoulder/hip barriers; and arm/hand barriers to restrict occupant egress and excursion from the vehicle during a rollover event". These are voluntary standards under American National Standard for recreational off-highway vehicles, ANSI/ROHVA 1-2010, though the CPSC has proposed making them mandatory.
CPSC 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. [3]
Since the 2017 Dakar Rally the SSV category vehicles compete in a separate class, which is defined as four-wheel side-by-side vehicles with 1000 cc maximum displacement. [4] Previously, they were classified in the Cars T3.3 subclass.
Other off-road racing series include side-by-side classes, such as the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series, TORC: The Off-Road Championship, SCORE International, Best in the Desert, and Grand National Cross Country. The Monster Jam arena tours include an event where monster truck drivers race Polaris RZRs across an obstacle course.
Notable manufacturers of UTV/side-by-side vehicles:
Sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a category of motor vehicles that combine elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive.
A crash test is a form of destructive testing usually performed in order to ensure safe design standards in crashworthiness and crash compatibility for various modes of transportation or related systems and components.
ROV may refer to:
An all-terrain vehicle (ATV), also known as a quad, three-wheeler, four-track, four-wheeler, or quadricycle, as defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a vehicle that travels on low-pressure tires, with a seat that is straddled by the operator, along with handlebars for steering control. As the name implies, it is designed to handle a wider variety of terrain than most other vehicles. Although it is a street-legal vehicle in some countries, it is not street-legal within most states, territories, and provinces of Australia, the United States, or Canada.
A utility vehicle is a vehicle, generally motorized, that is designed to carry out a specific task with more efficacy than a passenger vehicle. It sometimes refers to a truck with low sides.
An off-road vehicle is considered to be any type of vehicle which is capable of driving on and off paved or gravel surface. It is generally characterized by having large tires with deep, open treads, a flexible suspension, or even caterpillar tracks. Other vehicles that do not travel public streets or highways are generally termed off-highway vehicles, including tractors, forklifts, cranes, backhoes, bulldozers, and golf carts.
A Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) is a U.S. designation for battery electric vehicles that are usually built to have a top speed of 25 miles per hour (40 km/h), and have a maximum loaded weight of 3,000 lb (1,400 kg). Depending on the particular laws of the state, they are legally limited to roads with posted speed limits of 45 miles per hour (72 km/h) or less. NEVs fall under the United States Department of Transportation classification for low-speed vehicles. The non-electric version of the neighborhood electric vehicle is the motorised quadricycle.
Global Electric Motorcars (GEM) is an American manufacturer in the low-speed vehicle category, producing neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) since 1998, low-speed vehicles (LSVs) since 2001. It has sold more than 50,000 GEM battery-electric vehicles worldwide as of October 2015. GEM was formerly owned by Chrysler. Since 2011 it is a wholly owned subsidiary of Polaris Industries.
A rollover is a type of vehicle crash in which a vehicle tips over onto its side or roof. Rollovers have a higher fatality rate than other types of vehicle collisions.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is a U.S. nonprofit organization funded by auto insurance companies, established in 1959 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. It works to reduce the number of motor vehicle traffic collisions, and the rate of injuries and amount of property damage in the crashes that still occur. It carries out research and produces ratings for popular passenger vehicles as well as for certain consumer products such as child car booster seats. It also conducts research on road design and traffic regulations, and has been involved in promoting policy decisions.
The Hummer H3 is an off-road vehicle that was produced from 2005 to 2010 by General Motors. The smallest model of the Hummer lineup, it was offered as a 5-door SUV or a 4-door pickup truck known as the H3T. Unlike the larger H1 and H2 models, the H3 was not developed by AM General. It was introduced for the 2006 model year, based on a modified GMT355 that underpinned the Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon compact pickup trucks that were also built at GM's Shreveport Operations in Shreveport, Louisiana and the Port Elizabeth plant in South Africa. While mechanically related to the Colorado and Canyon, GM claims they share only 10% of their components, with the chassis modified and reinforced for heavy off-road duties.
Arctic Cat is an American brand of snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles manufactured in Thief River Falls, Minnesota. The company was formed in 1960 and is now part of Textron Inc. The company designs, engineers, manufactures and markets all-terrain vehicles, snowmobiles, as well as related parts, garments—such as snowmobile suits—and accessories.
SCORE International is an off-road racing sanctioning body in the sport of desert racing and is famous for the Baja 500, San Felipe 250 and the Committee's flagship event; the Baja 1000. For the 2016 season, the SCORE season will consist of four races; all held in Mexico for the first time. Founded by Mickey Thompson in 1973, SCORE International continues today under the current presidency of Roger Norman, who purchased the rights from Sal Fish in late 2012.
The Yamaha Rhino is an off-road vehicle made by Yamaha Motor Company. The two-person four-wheel drive vehicles are in a unique class called "side by side", which is in-between the size of ATVs and mini SUVs. Rhinos are gaining popularity in racing with customizations similar to the full-size vehicles. Polaris and Arctic Cat have made vehicles in the same class.
Traffic barriers keep vehicles within their roadway and prevent them from colliding with dangerous obstacles such as boulders, sign supports, trees, bridge abutments, buildings, walls, and large storm drains, or from traversing steep (non-recoverable) slopes or entering deep water. They are also installed within medians of divided highways to prevent errant vehicles from entering the opposing carriageway of traffic and help to reduce head-on collisions. Some of these barriers, designed to be struck from either side, are called median barriers. Traffic barriers can also be used to protect vulnerable areas like school yards, pedestrian zones, and fuel tanks from errant vehicles.
A Kei truck, or Kei class truck, or Japanese mini truck is a mini truck, a tiny but practical pickup truck available in RWD or 4WD version, built to satisfy the Japanese keijidōsha statutory class. They are known as Keitora in Japan alongside the microvan.
A run-off-road collision is a US term for a type of single-vehicle collision that occurs when a vehicle leaves the roadway.
When a person makes a claim for personal injury damages that have resulted from the presence of a defective automobile or component of an automobile, that person asserts a product liability claim. That claim may be against the automobile's manufacturer, the manufacturer of a component part or system, or both, as well as potentially being raised against companies that distributed, sold or installed the part or system that is alleged to be defective.
Mahindra KUV100, where 'KUV' stands for Kool Utility Vehicle is a compact-Mini sport utility vehicle automobile designed and manufactured by the Indian Mahindra & Mahindra.
The Polaris RZR is a sport side-by-side produced by Polaris Industries. When launched in 2007 as a 2008 model, it was officially known as the Ranger RZR, as it was marketed as a sub-model of the larger, work-oriented Ranger. As the RZR gained popularity, Polaris eventually dropped the Ranger designation and positioned the RZR as a stand-alone model.
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