(The Center Square) – Wisconsin has had 25 deaths on all-terrain and utility task off-road vehicles this year after there were two more deaths reported on Saturday, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
Only four of the 25 who died were wearing seatbelts on the ATV or UTV with 84% of those fatal incidents happening on UTVs.
UTVs have seatbelts for all passengers and the DNR said those can significantly reduce the risk of being ejected from the vehicle in a crash.
All UTV passengers are required to wear a seatbelt in Wisconsin.
“UTVs are designed with key safety features, like roll cages and seatbelts, that are there to protect riders in the event of a crash or rollover,” Lt. Jacob Holsclaw, Wisconsin DNR off-highway vehicle administrator, said in a statement. “But those features can only help if they’re used.”
The number of deaths on the off-road vehicles have continued to climb this summer as deaths have spanned from a 6-year-old who died in a UTV rollover on July 10 to a 97-year-old who died in a crash with a motor vehicle on April 14.
There were two deaths involving 10-year-olds driving UTVs near their home in the past three months.
Operators must be at least 16 to operate a full-size UTV in public areas in Wisconsin and ATV/UTV operators born on or after Jan. 1, 1988, and at least 12 years of age must complete a DNR-approved safety course.
“While these numbers are concerning, they also highlight a clear opportunity for prevention,” Holsclaw said. “Wearing a seatbelt is one of the simplest and most effective ways to stay safe while riding.”
