First of its kind joint effort targets off-highway vehicle safety
(2005-05-24)

The increase in off-highway vehicle (OHV) usage over the past decade has brought an increase in complaints, violations, accidents and fatalities, and placed excessive demands on Minnesota law enforcement agencies according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Since 1995, 114 Minnesotans have died and another 9,700 have been injured in OHV related incidents. OHVs include all-terrain vehicles, off-highway motorcycles and off-road vehicles such as four-wheel-drive trucks, but not snowmobiles.

Now, in a first-of-its-kind joint effort, Minnesota law enforcement agencies and motorized recreational organizations will work together to promote the safe, responsible and environmentally friendly use of OHVs.

During "Safe Wheelin' Weekend," June 3-5, DNR conservation officers, municipal police, sheriff's departments, Minnesota State Patrol, and OHV clubs and organizations will inform OHV riders in the state on where to ride as well as legal and safe methods of OHV operation.

They will also focus on illegal operation of OHVs in road rights-of-way and on public lands.

Over the past two years DNR Enforcement has taken a lead role in training other law enforcement agencies in laws that govern OHV usage and operation in the state. DNR will also provide law enforcement agencies and OHV organizations summary data and an information packet on safe OHV use, including public service announcements and news releases that can be used by local media.

Every year, tens of thousands of children are sent to the emergency room with serious and often debilitating injuries from ATV accidents. According to the ATV Safety Institute, more than 90 percent of child injuries are caused by improper driver behavior.

Minnesota DNR is the agency charged with the important mission of offering safety-training programs for youth and adult OHV operators. DNR administered ATV safety training is available for ATV operators ages 12-15.

DNR Chief Conservation Officer Col. Mike Hamm noted, "If a 600-pound ATV flips over on a 60-pound kid, the vehicle wins. They are not toys," Hamm said. "ATVs can be very safe, if the operator has had training and is being supervised by an adult. But the reality is that a lot of kids who are being hurt are not being supervised. Parents are saying, 'It's not going to hurt my child.' " Improper adult operation of OHVs is also a concern since they commit an overwhelming majority of the violations. During a recent 12-month period, DNR statistics show people 18 and older had 82 percent of the violations.

The Safe Wheelin' initiative blossomed from a recognition by law enforcement and requests by OHV organizations to enforce existing laws and take action against those people who give the sport a bad name. For example, an ATV rider in Crow Wing State Forest was issued seven tickets in one day. When issued the citations, the violator told the conservation officer he "didn't care about the laws."

In another egregious case in Crow Wing County State Forest, four men were ticketed for driving mud trucks in a lakebed. A few hours later, all four men were again stopped and charged with operating an off-road vehicle off trail in a state forest and operating an off-road vehicle without obtaining off-road registration. In each instance there was substantial damage to the resource.

Participating Safe Wheelin' law enforcement agencies and OHV organizations will work to their strengths. Conservation officers will focus their efforts on DNR lands across the state. Sheriffs' departments and municipal police departments will focus on roads within their jurisdictions, responding to accidents, trespass complaints, and complaints of illegal operation on roads and rights-of-ways in their areas.

State Patrol is responsible for state highways, responding to accidents and complaints of illegal operation on roads and rights-of-ways. OHV organizations will focus on visibility and education on the trails and report major violations to the DNR.

"We'll do an after-action report to see what went well and what needs improvement," Hamm said. "If it shows that the effort had a positive effect, I'm sure each group would be interested in doing it annually. It's only through a unified education and enforcement effort that we will be able to slow down the OHV complaints and accidents in the state."

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