(KNSI) – As outdoor enthusiasts transition from snowmobiles to ATVs and UTVs, officials are stressing an attention to safety.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Chad Ziegler tells KNSI Radio the growing popularity of off-roaders is leading to a surge in preventable deaths. “We’re coming off a record-setting year in terms of fatalities. We had about 32 of them last year. And we really want to make sure that it’s reinforced to people that they’re being safe every time they ride. Watching their speed, riding on the right side of the road. We encourage everyone to wear a helmet and seatbelts, but especially those under 18, by law, they have to wear a helmet.”
In addition to wearing seatbelts and helmets, Ziegler asks that riders slow down, be aware of nearby cars and their immediate surroundings, and to save beer and alcohol until after they’re back home for the day.
Ziegler says the vast majority of the deaths involved someone who had not taken lessons offered by the DNR. “Out of the 32 fatalities, 26 of them did not have their ATV safety [certificate]. One of the best ways to set the foundation for safety is to get that ATV safety training.”
Ziegler says ATV safety hasn’t caught on like some of the other training classes. By comparison, firearms safety instruction courses fill up almost immediately after registration opens.
___
Copyright 2025 Leighton Media. All rights reserved. This material may not be broadcast, published, redistributed, or rewritten, in any way without consent.
