If your idea of great fun involves spending Labor Day tearing around the woods on utility terrain vehicles (UTV) or all-terrain vehicles (ATV), we want to remind you to make safety your top priority.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) boasts 65,000 legal roads and more than 2,000 off-road trails for residents and visitors alike to explore. But you want to be safe and ensure that you don’t become another statistic.
What do the numbers say?
There were six times as many UTVs registered in 2024 as there were in 2014. With that jump in numbers, it’s no surprise that there is also an uptick in UTV accidents and injuries.
The fact is that almost 70% of wrecks involving ATVs or UTVs happened on public roads and highways. Even sadder, 53% of ATV/UTV crashes involved alcohol usage. An astounding 85% of deaths occurred to those not wearing helmets.
Campaign focuses on education, intervention
The state DNR launched its Labor Day weekend safety campaign, Think Smart Before You Start. Its focus is the reckless and dangerous drivers who risk their own and others’ safety when riding.
An Administrative Warden with the Wisconsin DNR recently stated that, “The majority of our crashes, not a big surprise they occur on the weekend, Friday through Sunday, that’s when most people are out and about.” The Wisconsin DNR wants to remind users of the rules of the road ahead of the holiday weekend.
The authority also stressed that anyone who operates a UTV or ATV must take a safety course to comply with regulations and get certified. This applies to all born after January 1, 1988. Upon completion and certification, those 12 and older can then ride ATVs or UTVs within sound and sight of adults.
Safety courses save lives
The statistics also show that out of 40 accidents involving ATVs and UTVs, 32 operators had no record of completing the required safety course.
Since the average age of those involved in these wrecks is 44, they are old enough that they didn’t have to take the course or wear helmets, to their detriment.
If you get injured over the Labor Day weekend, you may have a cause of action to file a claim for damages.
