There aren't a lot of details publicly available yet, but a news brief from North Carolina news station WRAL on April 21, 2026, detailed the story of two guys who were out driving a side-by-side when the driver's side rear tire came off, and the vehicle flipped.
Early reports mention speed also being a factor in the crash that followed, but a tire coming off any vehicle could cause the driver (or rider) to quickly lose control of the vehicle. Sadly, the driver of that side-by-side reportedly died at the scene, while the passenger suffered serious injuries but survived the crash.
I know that ROHVA exists, but since my background involves multiple MSF courses, the pre-ride safety check acronym that's been drilled into my head for the last 20-ish years is T-CLOCS. While not every single letter in this acronym applies to side-by-sides, both the general purpose of this exercise, as well as many of the items covered still do.
For those unfamiliar (or who need a refresher), T-CLOCs stands for the following (scroll down on the right side of the table to see the entire list):
| Acronym letter | Meaning |
| T | Tires (both condition and air pressure, to be checked when cold) and also Wheels (check the spokes, cast, rims, bearings, and seals) Also check the brakes; including looking at both the pads and discs to check wear and whether it's getting close to replacement time |
| C | Controls (on a motorcycle, this includes handlebars; but you could just as easily apply this to the controls in the cockpit of a side-by-side, even if no handlebars are involved) |
| L | Lights & Electrics (check battery condition, all your lights and turn signals, switches, mirrors, lenses, reflectors, and any wiring |
| O | Oil and other fluids (look at both appropriate fluid levels, as well as look for any visible leaks or indications that there might be a leak) |
| C |
Chassis (frame, suspension, drive belt or chain, and all your fasteners; if they come loose, they could pose a danger and/or a problem)
|
| S |
Stands (center and side stand; not really applicable for a side-by-side although pretty much everything else on this list can apply) |
Have I always been consistently good about examining my tires and checking my tire pressure every single time I go out? No, and that's how I once ended up stuck in the parking lot of a grocery store not far from home, because my (clearly underinflated and unchecked) rear tire literally rolled right off the rim after a glancing blow from a pothole. Oops.
It was many years ago, but you can bet I learned my lesson after that.
At that time, I didn't have a tire kit with me to go to the grocery store. While it's true that I'm often overprepared, I'll ask a simple question here: Do you expect things to go wrong when you're just stopping at the grocery store? I didn't think so.
Lucky for me, my long-suffering partner was able to come reinflate and remount my tire to help me get back on my way. Now, the situation could clearly have been much worse, and it's a mistake I haven't made again. But it's also equally true that it could have been avoided if I'd been good about T-CLOCs before I left to go to the grocery store.
While doing all those preventive pre-ride checks isn't the fun part of enjoying any of the things we do, it's still necessary. All of us want to keep being able to go out and ride or drive and enjoy whatever it is that we're riding or driving, right? Just think of it as helping you to keep doing that, and stay safe to ride another day.
