(The Center Square) – Wisconsin has seen 15 fatal all-terrain or utility task vehicle accidents so far this year after having 41 last year, the second-highest year on record.
That was only surpassed by 47 in 2021.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources keeps updated records of the fatalities, showing the fatal crashes have jumped from 20 in 2015 to 40 in 2024 and 41 last year.
The DNR will be running a safety campaign from Friday to Sunday with additional patrols on trails and routes with wardens and safety patrols monitoring such as speeding and operating while intoxicated.
“Wisconsin continues to see a rising number of injury and fatal ATV and UTV crashes,” DNR off-highway vehicle administrator Lt. Jacob Holsclaw said in a statement. “We are asking our wardens and law enforcement partners to increase patrols to deter Illegal and unsafe operation and more importantly asking the public to police themselves.”
There were three reported deaths after rollover crashes in May with the deaths of a 23- and 31-year-old in separate ATV rollover crashes on public roads and a 71-year-old dying in a UTV rollover crash on a public trail.
