The Zero-Turn-Radius Rotary Mower: Safety Information
There are several features of the zero-turn-radius (ZTR) rotary mower that compromise the safety of the operator. Built for speed, the high-powered zero-turn-radius rotary mower has characteristics that make it more prone to roll over (causing injuries and deaths) than the non-ZTR variety, according to attorney John Gehlhausen. Mr. Gehlhausen explores the features that make a ZTR mower particularly susceptible to rollover accidents in the following article. If you or a loved one has been the victim of a tragic lawn mower or tractor accident, please contact the office of John Gehlhausen to schedule a consultation to discuss your legal rights.
DO ZERO-TURN- RADIUS RIDING LAWN TRACTORS WITHOUT ROLLOVER PROTECTION SYSTEMS (ROPS) ROLLOVER AND KILL OR SERIOUSLY INJURE MORE THAN ORDINARY RIDING MOWERS?
By: John Gehlhausen
Riding Mower Accident Product Liability Attorney
Although I am unaware of any statistics compiled on the point, my experience in helping widows and paraplegics left by rollovers of riding mowers tells me that the zero-turn-radius (ZTR) variety is much more dangerous than the standard non-ZTR variety. In its May 2009 issue, Consumer Reports also recognized this fact. A number of factors influence the discrepancy:
- ZTRs are built for speed. If you have any doubt about this, look at their advertising. People do not buy ZTRs because they are interested in spending more time cutting grass. Like cars, speed kills. Speed kills because it leaves less time for correcting human error or mechanical problems that inevitably occur when operating a moving vehicle of any kind.
- The controls are much more responsive than those of an ordinary riding mower lawn tractor. Therefore, any quick movement with either hand for any reason can result in a sudden and unexpected turn - including turns that lead off of an embankment or down a slope.
- Most ZTRs have arm rests and lap bars. As a result, when the ZTR lawn tractor without a ROPS begins to roll over, the operator is much more likely to be pinned in the seat with disastrous results. Neither standard nor ZTR lawn tractor rollovers provide much chance for escape, but the lap controls and armrests on ZTRs make it nearly impossible as opposed to highly unlikely. The tractor articles about ROPS and rollovers describe not using seatbelts without ROPS because of removing the minimal chance that an operator has to jump clear in the event of a rollover. The ZTR lap bar design reduces that chance even further. The chance of escaping in a roll is further lessened by wide decks.
- In addition, ZTRs without a ROPS are more apt to roll more than 90 degrees when they tip over, because of their low profile. This means that, rather than merely turning over on its side, the ZTR is more likely to roll over the entire 180 degrees, quite probably crushing or pinning its rider underneath. To illustrate this point, consider the example of throwing a quarter on the floor. How likely is it that the quarter will end up resting on its edge?
- ZTRs have much more power than the standard riding mower lawn tractors of decades ago. In 1992 the CPSC indicated that the median horsepower for a rear engine rider lawn tractor was 8.5 hp. Most ZTR lawn tractors are still rear engine riders with engine horsepower much greater than the average rear engine rider of 1992. Today, it is not unusual for a 600 pound machine to have over 20 hp1. The sudden application of all this horsepower (particularly on a slope) can cause the ZTR to pivot backward over its rear wheels resulting in a vertical rollover with either a dead or paralyzed operator. This can best be visualized by remembering how children “pop wheelies” on their bicycles. On ZTRs, however, the operator cannot simply slide off the seat and drop his feet to the ground to prevent the machine from completely flipping over backward.
- Some manufacturers of ZTRs recommend that hillsides be mowed up and down (vertically), while others recommend that they be mowed across (horizontally). If a person is driving one of these lawn tractors up a hill, and the rear wheels accidentally get too much power for the slope, it can result in a backward rollover. This is much less likely when mowing across the hillside. However, even those that instruct operators to mow across slopes recognize that operators will sometimes mow up slopes. For example, John Deere, even though its manual indicates that mowing should be done across slopes, instructs operators to shut off the blades and slowly back down the slope should the machine stop while mowing uphill.
As of the time of this writing in 2009 there are a number of lawsuits pending against mower manufacturers for misrepresenting to the public the horsepower of the engines on those machines.
- As noted before, the lap bar controls to each of the two rear wheels are extremely responsive. This can lead to very easily giving too much power to those wheels in relation to the weight of the lawn tractor, resulting in a rear rollover. In addition, these controls are much less forgiving should you quickly exert more power on one wheel than the other.
- The operator is also required to keep both his or her hands on the controls. This poses further problems. For example, if some situation arises that causes the operator to lift one hand from one of the two lap bars (such as a stinging insect, waving at someone, or honking a horn), a sudden and unexpected turn can occur in the direction of the hand that left the control. This could be disastrous if the operator is moving along a road or other embankment which is elevated above surrounding land or a pond.
- In general, ZTRs are not equipped with brakes for all four wheels; the front wheels are casters like those on a grocery cart. They have no steering controls. To stop a ZTR, you have to reverse the controls so that the rear wheels are going, at least momentarily, in the opposite direction. Going downhill causes a significant shift in weight from the wheels responsible for power and braking in the rear to the front casters which provide no braking. If done in a hurry on certain surfaces, this sudden shift can cause a loss of traction. As of 2009, one inventor (visit tedbrakes.com) has recognized this problem and designed add-on brake systems for ZTRs.
- The present trend in the ZTR industry is to sell more and more of these machines to residential home owners. To do this the industry does everything possible to keep the price down which often means using less steel. The problem with this manufacturing and marketing approach is that on lightweight mowers with less steel, the weight and/or shifting of the operator increases the chance the ZTR will tip. This is less likely to occur on heavier ZTRs that are often marketed as “commercial.” Some of the less safety-minded manufacturers do not place steel rollover protective systems (ROPS) with safety frames and seatbelts on the cheaper “residential” mowers that they sell to homeowners, who generally have less experience using such machines than their commercial counterparts. As a result, when the “residential” lawn tractors without ROPS roll over, they are much more likely to result in the death or permanent injury of the homeowner, who, because of cost-competition, has nothing to protect him or her from being crushed.
- Stopping or losing power on hillsides can have disastrous results with ZTRs. The mowers have no brakes, and its front wheels consist of castors which the operator cannot control without power in the rear wheels. Should the rear wheels lose power, the natural tendency of these castors is to give in to gravity and point downhill. With nothing further to steer the machine, the operator, in such instances, will lose all control of the ZTR. If at the bottom of a hill there is a drop off, a pond, or a stream, losing control of one of these machines can result in a rollover. This is one of the reasons why Consumer Reports, in its May 2009 edition, recommends ROPS on all ZTRs.
Contact Us after Zero-Turn-Radius Rotary Mower Injuries and Deaths
A zero-turn-radius riding mower that tips over can cause significant injuries. Rollover protective safety frames are recommended for all machines, but certain manufacturers refuse to install these devices as standard practice. For many years, attorney John Gehlhausen has pursued legal action against negligent manufacturers of zero-turn-radius rotary mowers for the wrongful deaths caused by rollover accidents.
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