Summer's Most Dangerous Ritual: What Every ATV and UTV Rider Needs to Know Before Hitting the Road
Every Memorial Day weekend, millions of Americans roll their ATVs and UTVs out of garages, barns, and storage units and point them toward the nearest trail, dirt road, or — increasingly — public street. For many, it's a rite of passage as reliable as the first cold beer of the season. But while the ritual feels as harmless as firing up the grill, the numbers behind it tell a darker story. Off-highway vehicle fatalities are not just creeping upward. They are surging, and the summer riding months are ground zero for the worst of it.
Authorities across the Heartland are sounding alarms ahead of what is shaping up to be another brutal riding season. From small-town police chiefs to national safety organizations, the message is consistent: know your machine, know the laws, and do not treat a vehicle engineered for mud and gravel as though it belongs on asphalt at speed.
The Numbers Are Worse Than You Think
According to the Consumer Federation of America's most recent data, 632 riders lost their lives in preventable OHV accidents across the country in 2024, a 127 percent increase from the year before. That is not the result of a methodology change or a data quirk. CFA data shows that ATV and UTV accidents and fatalities roughly double during the summer riding months, starting in May, and Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of the deadliest stretch of the year for off-road vehicle riders.
The leap from 2023 to 2024 is particularly alarming when placed in context. In 2023, the CFA identified 498 OHV fatalities, comprised mostly of ATVs and UTVs. The year before that, the organization identified 419 OHV fatalities in 2022. The trend line is unmistakably moving in the wrong direction, and faster than most riders appreciate. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports an annual average of more than 800 deaths and an estimated 100,000 emergency department-treated injuries involving OHVs.
Of the 2024 fatalities, 119 involved children 16 years old or younger, including an infant and six toddlers. "Year after year, CFA has found the percentage of children dying in OHV-related incidents to be deeply alarming," said Courtney Griffin, CFA's Director of Consumer Product Safety. The child fatality data is particularly stinging given that the industry has long marketed youth models as a safe gateway to the sport.
"All OHVs, even youth models, pose risks," said Dr. Gary Smith, President of the Child Injury Prevention Alliance. "OHVs are fast, complex machines, and due to their design, they roll over easily. One wrong choice could lead to the emergency department or worse. Children younger than 16 years just aren't ready for the demands of safe riding, so we encourage parents to find a different activity for their child."
The Road Problem: Why Pavement Is the Deadliest Surface
One of the most persistent and dangerous myths in the off-road world is that taking a UTV or ATV onto a public road is no more risky than using it on a trail. The physics and the data say otherwise. In spite of warnings from manufacturers, federal agencies, and consumer and safety advocates that OHVs are unsafe on roadways, an increasing number of states have passed laws allowing OHVs on public roads, and additional states and counties are currently considering such laws.
A map of per-capita OHV fatalities by state from 2013 to 2024 reveals a troubling pattern: states that allow OHVs on public roads tend to experience a higher number of deaths per capita. West Virginia saw the most per-capita fatalities at 15.28 per 100,000 people, followed by states in the northwestern part of the country including Alaska, Montana, and Wyoming.
The mechanical reasons for this are not mysterious. Off-road vehicles have low-pressure tires, which have more grip than regular car tires, especially when turning at high speeds — "so any sort of turn is just that much sharper, that much more dynamic," according to Wisconsin DNR recreation warden Joseph Mulrooney. He also noted that off-road vehicles have a higher center of gravity, making them more prone to tipping over.
Portageville, Missouri Police Chief Rodney Ivie knows this dynamic firsthand. His department has dealt with UTV and ATV fatalities in the county, and he puts the mechanical reality in plain terms. "It's an understanding of the vehicle, how the throttle works, how the brakes work, and where those are located, and those seem to be the issues," Ivie said. "And the running of stop signs and the yielding to other traffic is the issue."
Ivie is candid about the mismatch between vehicle design and road conditions. "You know these ATVs and UTVs aren't made to be run on public roadways as asphalt, they may be ran off-road," he said. "And the handling on them is different than regular street tires. So if they can practice on private property, and then understand the limitations of the vehicle turning and standing on all four wheels is very important."
Most fatalities in Wisconsin ATV crashes involved riders who were not wearing helmets. In the most recent reporting year, an overwhelming majority of injury-causing and fatal ATV accidents in Wisconsin occurred on mostly paved public roads, which aligns with historical ATV safety data reported by the CPSC. That pattern holds nationally. Victims in roadway crashes are less likely to wear protective gear such as helmets, and were more likely to be carrying passengers, both of which are risk factors for ATV-related fatalities and injuries.
Who's Most at Risk: The Demographics of Off-Road Deaths
The fatality data paints a precise picture of who is most vulnerable on these machines. Males are disproportionately represented in OHV-related fatalities. Of 2,448 deaths between 2018 and 2020, over 2,000 were males, which may likely be due to males taking heavier risks when operating an OHV compared to females. That means off-road vehicle safety is, at its core, a men's issue — one that too rarely gets framed that way.
Ejections are the type of hazard most commonly related to OHV fatalities. For ROVs, over 80 percent of the fatally injured were ejected from the vehicle. Similarly, ATVs do not have safety restraints, so victims of fatal incidents typically did not remain seated after an accident. The physics of an ejection at 30 or 40 miles per hour on asphalt do not need much elaboration.
The OHV overturned in 63 percent of injuries, and the victim was ejected in 78 percent of injuries. For context, these are not numbers associated with exotic driving conditions. They happen on county roads, gravel paths, and residential streets — places where riders feel comfortable enough to let their guard down entirely.
Wisconsin offers a state-level snapshot that illustrates how quickly the situation has deteriorated in the post-pandemic era. Use of ATVs and UTVs has grown significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing with it more safety incidents and fatalities. There were over 30 ATV/UTV fatalities in all but one post-pandemic year. Before that, between 2014 and 2020, all years had totals under 30, according to DNR annual reports. Mulrooney said alcohol consumption and excessive speed are "top contributors" in many ATV and UTV crashes. Seventeen of the DNR's listed 2025 fatalities have a "pending" alcohol involvement status.
The Legal Landscape: A Patchwork That Trips Up Even Experienced Riders
Which States Actually Allow It
Street legality for ATVs and UTVs is not a simple yes or no at the national level — it is a jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction labyrinth that catches riders off guard regularly. According to recent overviews from insurance and off-road specialists, twenty states now offer full or partial street legality for UTVs, sometimes called side-by-sides. They include Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming, and New Hampshire.
Even within those states, the rules vary wildly. Each state has varying regulations for how these vehicles can be operated on public roads. Most states only allow UTVs to be operated on county roads. UTVs are not allowed on interstate highways. Nevada, Washington, and several other states restrict UTVs to a speed of 45 miles per hour or less. Tennessee only allows UTVs to go 35 miles per hour.
Large, densely populated states — California, New York, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Rhode Island — still treat ATVs strictly as off-road vehicles. They may be titled but cannot receive highway plates. Fines for illegal road use can top $500 plus impound fees. The consequence for a weekend rider who does not check local law before heading out on a paved county road can range from an embarrassing traffic stop to a criminal citation.
Missouri's Mixed Signals
Missouri sits in the middle of the legal spectrum in a way that confuses even locals. Rural Missouri counties often allow ATVs for agricultural purposes, but metropolitan areas and city street grids tend to prohibit them. In Portageville specifically, Chief Ivie noted that it is legal to ride on public roads — not counting highways and letter roads — but that the rules differ sharply from one municipality to the next. A rider who is street-legal in Portageville can become an outlaw three miles down the road simply by crossing a county line.
UTV driving laws are constantly changing, with consequential differences in requirements across state lines. With new regulations and some relaxing of regulations, it can be hard to keep track of which states allow UTVs and what is "legal." The advice from law enforcement and safety advocates is uniform: before you point a UTV toward any road surface, look up the exact ordinance for that road in that county on that date.
Getting Street Legal: What the Process Actually Looks Like
Street-legal UTVs are universally required to have brake lights, turn signals, headlights, and hazard lights. Beyond that baseline, requirements escalate depending on the state. Arizona requires that UTVs operated on public roads have a rearview mirror and a horn that can be heard at least 250 feet away. Tennessee requires that UTVs have a red triangle sign like that used on tractors, along with tires approved by the Department of Transportation.
As of January 2025, Arizona requires UTV owners to pass an online OHV safety course before renewing a plate or OHV decal. The ten-minute video and quiz confirm riders understand basic traffic laws, environmental stewardship, and equipment requirements. Completing the course places a 2025 decal on the machine so law enforcement can spot a compliant rig on city streets or public roads. Other states are watching Arizona's move closely, and similar mandatory-education requirements could follow in additional jurisdictions.
Iowa's approach offers a useful model for how a state can expand access while building in guardrails. In fiscal year 2024, 57,394 UTVs were registered by the Iowa DNR — a 47 percent increase in registrations since the law went into effect in 2022. The surge in legal registrations has come with clear rules: to drive these vehicles on public roads in Iowa, drivers must be at least 18 years old with a valid driver's license, and are not to exceed 35 mph. Despite those guardrails, Iowa recorded 12 ATV/UTV deaths each year in 2022 and 2023, with a record high 20 fatalities in 2024.
What Dealers and Experts Say: The View From the Showroom Floor
Collin Reimann sells UTVs and ATVs at Sappington Outdoor in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and he watches the dynamic play out constantly. Customers come in hungry for power, and they do not always account for what that power means at the controls. "There is quite a bit of power; there's also nice restrictions on the youth models, but if you have them fully wide open, they can go 25-35 miles an hour. It can get bad pretty quick," Reimann said. "If they're not at the right age and they can't control the bike, then it will get out of hand."
Reimann's point about youth models is critical and often misunderstood. The existence of a governor or a speed limiter on a youth model does not make the machine forgiving — it simply keeps the consequences of error from arriving quite as fast. At 25 miles an hour, an ATV that hits soft ground at the wrong angle or clips a curb can still kill a young rider who is not wearing proper gear.
His advice for anyone heading out this summer cuts through the noise quickly. "Don't try to get crazy, just stay at a safe speed, stay at a safe place, that's the most important," he said. It sounds simple because it is. The deaths that fill the Consumer Federation of America's annual spreadsheet are not primarily the result of mechanical failure or freakish accidents. They are the result of predictable decisions — too fast, wrong terrain, wrong rider, no helmet — made by people who thought the risk applied to everyone except them.
The Gear Question: Helmets, Pads, and the Pride That Kills
Chief Ivie is direct about protective equipment: if you take an ATV out, it is important to wear protective gear such as helmets and padding at all times. That advice sounds like a legal disclaimer until you look at what happens when riders skip it. Most fatalities in Wisconsin ATV crashes involved riders who were not wearing helmets. In at least 17 of Wisconsin's 2025 fatal crashes, the victim wasn't wearing a seat belt.
The CPSC recommends always wearing a helmet and other protective gear, such as eye protection, boots, gloves, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt. That list is not arbitrary. Each item addresses a specific injury pattern. Eye protection matters because debris at speed can blind a rider and cause a crash that the gear itself would have otherwise prevented. Boots protect ankles and feet that are often the first point of contact in a tip-over. Long sleeves prevent road rash that can remove skin down to the bone.
The cultural resistance to helmets among adult male riders is well-documented and difficult to shift. But the data on helmet-free fatalities is unambiguous. Riders younger than 16 should drive only age-appropriate youth models — never adult models. For those over 16, the decision to skip a helmet is a personal one with consequences that extend well beyond the rider — to the paramedics, the families, and in many cases, the taxpayers who fund trauma care.
The Post-Pandemic Boom and Its Consequences
The surge in ATV and UTV fatalities does not exist in a vacuum. It is the direct result of an explosion in ridership that began when lockdowns sent Americans searching for outdoor recreation in 2020. Use of ATVs and UTVs has grown significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing with it more safety incidents and fatalities. Dealerships across the country reported record sales during 2020 and 2021, with wait lists stretching months for popular models.
That growth brought a new class of rider into the sport: people who had never operated an off-road vehicle before, who bought machines during a period of boredom and restlessness, and who in many cases never received any formal instruction. More people ride in summer. More inexperienced riders are on machines they do not know. When those two factors combine with the legal confusion around road use and a cultural reluctance to wear gear, the result is the death toll the Consumer Federation of America is now tracking in real time.
In recent years, the growth has led to more ATVs and UTVs sharing the roads with regular passenger cars. "The higher frequency out on the roads is going to equate to higher frequency of crashes," said Mulrooney. The math is not complicated. More machines mean more opportunities for error, and the errors that happen on public roads tend to be fatal at a higher rate than those on trails, where speeds are lower and other vehicles are not a factor.
Sharing the Road: The Perspective From Inside a Car
As ATVs and UTVs show up more often on public roads, a survey from Nationwide Insurance found that 6 out of 10 drivers say they are not comfortable sharing the road with these vehicles. That discomfort is well-founded. From the driver's seat of a sedan or pickup truck, a UTV is an unpredictable variable. It sits lower than most vehicles, lacks the lighting array of a street vehicle, does not always signal lane changes, and can behave erratically at speeds above its design parameters.
Riding a UTV down a county road is not the same as riding a trail. Traffic is faster, lanes are narrow, and drivers in cars are not looking for you. The machine that handles perfectly in the dirt handles differently at 55 mph next to an F-250. That last point is one that even experienced off-road riders underestimate. Off-road tires, tuned for grip in loose material, can behave unpredictably on pavement, especially during braking or in wet conditions.
A Practical Checklist for the Responsible Rider This Summer
The goal here is not to keep anyone off a machine they love. ATVs and UTVs are genuinely excellent tools for the right terrain, and for millions of Americans they represent real quality-of-life value — for recreation, for farm work, for hunting access, for getting deep into country that would otherwise be inaccessible. The problem is not the machines. It is the conditions under which they are increasingly being used and the knowledge gaps that riders bring to those conditions.
Before heading out this summer, every rider should run through a short but consequential list. First, understand the machine. Get hands-on training from a qualified instructor, and note that most OHVs and ATVs are designed for one rider. Second, know the law for every road surface you plan to use — not just your home county, but any county you might cross through. Because rules change rapidly, riders should confirm city ordinances and county bylaws before venturing beyond private land.
Third, gear up every single time. A helmet is not a suggestion. Fourth, avoid drinking alcohol before or while driving an OHV or ATV. The number of pending alcohol-involvement investigations in Wisconsin's 2025 fatality data says everything that needs to be said on that subject. Fifth, match the machine to the rider. Riders younger than 16 should drive only age-appropriate youth models and never adult models.
Chief Ivie's recommendation to practice on private property before taking any machine onto a public road is worth taking seriously. Learning how a UTV brakes, how it turns, and where its weight shifts under different throttle conditions in a low-stakes environment is the difference between a rider who handles a surprise on the road and one who does not. The vehicle's handling characteristics are not intuitive to someone whose only driving experience involves a conventional automobile with four regular tires and a low center of gravity.
The Bottom Line
The Consumer Federation of America is tracking these deaths in real time because the government data lags by years. The Consumer Product Safety Commission collects death and injury data related to ATV use but there is a significant time lag in the data — the 2023 report, for instance, was released in May 2024 and the most recent complete data in that report was from 2020. By the time official statistics are published, the riders whose deaths they document have been in the ground for years. The CFA's real-time tracking exists precisely because someone has to be counting while the season is still happening.
What the numbers show right now — 632 deaths in 2024, a 127 percent increase in a single year, a summer spike that doubles the baseline fatality rate — is a category of preventable harm that the riding community has the power to reverse. The machines are not getting less powerful. The roads are not getting less dangerous. The only variable that riders control is their own preparation, their own judgment, and their own willingness to treat these vehicles with the respect that their performance specifications demand.
This summer will see millions of ATVs and UTVs come out of storage. Most of those rides will end without incident. But the ones that do not will follow a pattern that is by now entirely predictable: wrong surface, wrong speed, wrong gear, wrong rider. The information to avoid every single one of those outcomes already exists. Using it is the only move that makes sense.
