Mar. 31—As spring brings out all-terrain vehicles, officials are driving home the importance of safety for those who ride them, especially kids.
Early spring weather means drier trails and more opportunities for riders to get out on private and public land across Missouri. Regardless of weather and trail conditions, all ATV/UTV riders should use more caution when on the vehicles.
“It seems that when people operate these vehicles they don’t maneuver the same as a motor vehicle out on the highway,” said Sgt. Shane Hux with the Missouri State Highway Patrol. “Overturning is very common for these vehicles, it doesn’t matter the type of terrain or whether you’re on asphalt, gravel or out in a field.”
Recent ATV/UTV incidents underscore the importance of safe riding practices, Hux said. In 2023, more than 330 ATV crashes happened last year in Missouri. More than 70% of those resulted in injuries and 22 had fatalities.
Last year in the patrol’s Troop H area, out of the 28 crashes involving utility vehicles, 19 people were injured and four people were killed. Six of those crashes happened in Buchanan County with five people injured and one killed.
Officials say a big problem is some of those behind the wheel are driving without much experience.
“It seems like you have younger children that live elsewhere go visit family, whether that be grandma and grandpa out on the farm or aunts and uncles, and they have these vehicles that minors have never operated in their life,” Hux said. “What it comes down to is inexperience and too fast for conditions.”
The Missouri State Highway Patrol is warning parents if children are under 18, they are required to wear a helmet when on these vehicles. If ATVs are taken on the highway, the operator must have a valid driver’s license and follow a speed limit of 30 miles per hour.
“The recreational off-highway vehicles accelerate very quickly and even their top-end speed is very fast,” Hux said. “They do have a roll cage on them, however, that roll cage is going to only protect you if you’re wearing your seat belt and that’s what we’re seeing primarily is people just not choosing to wear that seat belt.”
For more information on the state’s ATV/UTV rules and safety, visit www.mshp.dps.missouri.gov/.
Jenna Wilson can be reached at jenna.wilson@newspressnow.com.
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