Oconto County leads state in ATV/UTV deaths since 2020
OCONTO – Over the course of three weeks late this spring, four people were seriously injured in accidents involving four-wheelers in Oconto County.
On June 18, a 29-year-old Oconto woman suffered a serious head laceration when the UTV in which she was riding tipped over in a private field the town of Little Suamico.
On June 17, a 13-year-old Lakewood boy and an 11-year-old Rhinelander boy sustained significant injures when they were thrown from an ATV in a collision with a pickup in the town of Townsend.
And on May 29, a 56-year-old Illinois man slipped out of the bed of an ATV as it accelerated out of a turn onto a county highway in the town Doty, striking his head on the pavement.
He died a short time later, becoming the seventh victim of a fatal ATV/UTV crash in Oconto County since the start of 2020.
Over the same period, the highest number of deaths anywhere else in the state is four, in four other counties, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. While the agency doesn’t track data on off-road vehicle crashes with injuries, it updates its fatal accident summary on its website each time one is reported.
Statewide, total deaths of ATV/UTV operators or passengers spiked in 2020 and 2021, to 38 and 47, respectively. That’s compared to an average of just under 23 for the previous eight years.
Perhaps those figures got the attention of riders, as to date this year there have been just 10 fatalities. The most recent one on Aug. 6 was the first in more than a month.
There are numerous factors behind deadly four-wheeler accidents, said Marcus Medina, a DNR recreation warden in charge of investigating fatal crashes in this part of the state.
While he couldn’t speculate on why Oconto County was at the top of the list in the number of deaths in the past 2½ years, Medina noted there is heavy four-wheeler traffic in northern Oconto County and in other areas nearby.
“We’ve seen a large uptick in ATV usage on trails and road routes – there’s a lot more people out recreating … a lot more usage, especially in the last two years,” Medina said. “That certainly seems to be a big part of it … that’s there just more people spending more time on ATVs and UTVs than we’ve historically seen.”
Bob Berth of Oconto, president of the Red Arrow Snowmobile ATV Club based in Townsend, called the amount of traffic “incredible.”
“I’ve been up there for 40 or 50 years, and I’ve never seen this type of traffic in the summer,” he said. “I’m actually surprised there isn’t more incidents, to be honest with you.”
Berth said the percentage of accidents and death is actually very low compared to the number of units in use.
Jim Wisnewski of Mountain, secretary of the Hidden Bear ATV Club in northern Oconto County, agreed, pointing to a large increase in ATV/UTV registration in the state.
According to figures provided by the DNR, 458,398 ATVs and UTVs are in the state this year, up 17% since 2019.
“(With) the number of riders compared to years ago, you’re bound to have more accidents – there’s just no way around that,” Wisnewski said. “It’s no more unsafe than years ago, there’s just more people riding.”
He also noted the high number of registrations in Brown and Outagamie counties as a major reason for the increase in traffic in upper northeast Wisconsin.
According to the DNR data, those counties have the second- and fourth-highest number of registrations in the state.
“There’s no miles of trail in Brown County and Outagamie County, so where do you think those people come? Mostly Oconto County and Marinette County … where you have the closest opportunity (to ride),” Wisnewski said. “If you come up here on a weekend, there’s just so many people coming up to this area to enjoy the trails, and the more you have, the more opportunity you’re going to have for unfortunate accidents.”
In contrast, Brown County recorded its first ATV/UTV death since at least 2011 on June 17 this year. Outagamie County had one last year, its first since 2017.
Those two fatal crashes shared an important factor with many other crashes involving four-wheelers: Despite being referred to a “Off-Highway Vehicles” by the DNR, most fatal crashes are occurring on public roads.
In Oconto County, six of the seven of those crashes were on public roads.
Statewide since the start of 2020, about two-thirds were.
“We’re definitely seeing more road routes being opened up for ATVs and UTVs,” Medina said. “There are more places where individuals can operate, including roadways in certain areas.”
Oconto County opened county highways north of Highway 22 to ATVs and UTVs this spring. Portions of several other county roads are also open, while many towns in the county began allowing four-wheelers on their local roads several years ago.
Berth said the vast majority of operators are responsible, especially on established trails.
“There’s very few deaths on trails, it’s more private property and crossing roads (and operating on) on roads,” he said.
The numbers bear that out. Since the start of 2020, just 11 of the 95 deaths over that period were on public trails, according to tallies of DNR data.
Operating factors
Beyond the higher ridership and traveling on roadways, Medina said three operating factors play a role in many fatal accidents.
“A lot of it comes down to speed, alcohol and safety equipment,” he said.
In terms of safety equipment, helmets are only required for riders younger than 18.
So far this year, in the four accidents where the information is not pending, none were wearing helmets. In the previous two years, just five out of the 85 people who died had one on.
Every occupant riding in a UTV must be seated with a fastened seat belt. ATVs aren’t so equipped.
So far this year, five of the 10 accidents involved UTVs. Two victims were using seat belts, two were unknown and one was pending.
Last year, with 47 deaths, 12 involved UTVs, and just four were using seat belts.
In 2020, 17 of the 38 deaths were on UTVs. None used a seat belt.
In the June 18 accident in Oconto County, the woman who was injured was in the backseat didn’t use a seat belt in her rear seat, or a helmet. The driver and the front seat passenger did, and when the UTV tipped over, they were left dangling but uninjured.
Few operators in fatal crashes have received safety certification, which is mandatory for those born in 1998 and later.
Just 11 of the 85 operators in the fatal accidents in 2020 and 2021 did so, nearly all were old enough to escape the requirement. (In four cases it wasn’t determined.)
This year, out of the 10 deaths to date, six did not receive certification, including a 14-year-old who was required to. One was a pedestrian struck by an ATV, while the other three are pending.
“When we’re riding around, we certainly have contact with people who do not have certification,” Medina said. “We would like to see 100 percent compliance.”
As for speed, the number of fatal crashes where that is a factor is difficult to determine from the DNRs summaries, though it’s mentioned occasionally. What’s listed often, however, is operator losing control somehow, be it on roadway after hitting the shoulder, negotiating a turn on a trail or traveling down a hill.
The best answer to that, Medina said, is to drive “in a manner that’s safe and to your experience level.”
“Know your limits, your operational boundaries ... don’t drive them too fast and have the appropriate safety gear,” he emphasized.
Perhaps the most significant factor for operators is alcohol.
In the preceding decade, from 2012 to 2021, 127 of the 266 of the four-wheeler deaths were alcohol-involved, according to DNR figures.
That’s 48%, although the summaries state that five results are pending, and another 20 are unknown, so it could be higher.
To be listed as alcohol-involved, the operator only needed a detectable blood alcohol concentration, with some drivers under the standard operating while intoxicated level of 0.08%.
But levels of 0.20% and higher are not uncommon. In 2019, two operators even had BACs above 0.30%.
So far this year, out of the 10 deaths, three were alcohol-involved, including the one in Oconto County.
One did not involve alcohol, and five were pending. (The other case was the 7-year-old struck by an ATV mentioned above.)
Of the three deaths each year in 2020 and 2021, just one was determined to be related to alcohol.
Here are number of ATV/UTV deaths statewide since 2012, with the number of those deemed “alcohol involved” in parentheses.
2022: 10 (3), five pending
2021: 47 (22), one pending
2020: 38 (14)
2019: 22 (16)
2018: 27 (11), eight unknown
2017: 27 (14), eight unknown
2016: 22 (16)
2015: 20 (7)
2014: 27 (14), two pending, four unknown
2013: 22 (9)
2012: 15 (4), two pending
Over the 10-year period from 2012 through 2021, Marinette County led the state in the number of deaths, 19, including three last year.
Oconto, Lincoln and Bayfield counties had the second most, with 10, with Douglas, Lafayette, Oneida and Iron counties each having eight fatalities over that decade.
Safety tips
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources urges following these tips to use ATVs and UTVs safely:
Never consume alcohol or drugs before or during your ride.
Wear a seat belt and a Department of Transportation (DOT)-approved helmet.
In addition to a seat belt and helmet, wear protective clothing such as eye protection, gloves, long pants and a long-sleeved shirt.
Keep your speed in check for the terrain, visibility conditions and your experience.
Remember that some terrain in Wisconsin is too steep for ATV/UTVs. Please be careful while traversing hills or uneven terrain.
FOR MORE OCONTO COUNTY NEWS: Check out our website!
Contact Kent Tempus at (920) 431-8226 or ktempus@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Oconto County leads state in ATV/UTV deaths since 2020
