Many injuries live along the highways, but stats show that off-highway vehicles in Minnesota are seeing an increased amount of accidents and fatalities.
Bring Me The News reports that a rise in fatalities that breaks the decade average has the Department of Natural Resources urging caution.
Fatalities before Fall
The average number of OHV-related deaths per year this last decade is 18. 2020 reports 20 deaths so far. According to the DNR, the Fall is the busiest season for OHV riders. This concerns them enough to issue a warning for safety to any and all riders.
Safety recommendations include:
- Taking a complete safety course for drivers and riders.
- Wearing protective gear including goggles, long sleeves and helmets.
- Riding on designated trails at safe speeds.
- Avoiding paved roads except when safe and permitted by law
- Riding sober at all times
An unfortunate reality of these reports is the number of serious accidents involve children under 17. The DNR attributes these incidents to the increased registrations. 2020 has nearly 24,000 new registrations.
Court cases for risky riding
Though the usual personal injury or wrongful death case involves strangers crashing on highways and insurance swapping between two different parties, there is still room for accidents off the highway that leave people in dire circumstances.
Especially in the case of children, parents may have a need to pursue justice and compensation from the person riding — whether the driver is family or not. Safety is something everyone needs to consider before driving off-road. But when accidents and crashes happen, the recovery costs can be high and in the worst-case scenario, the cost might be a life.