Side by Side UTV Deaths Per Year – Complete Guide

UTVs, since their time in the market, have been the favorite of all, especially farmers.

UTVs have simplified our lives and made agricultural work less time-consuming and less energy-consuming.

You also need to employ less labor, thus saving costs. Reckless driving and not following any rules are what give rise to these accidents.

Do you want to know more about Side by Side UTV Deaths Per Year? 

A recent study of March 2023 says that among most of the off-road vehicle accidents this year, UTVs and atv deaths 2022 accounted for the most number of deaths.

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The number of side-by-side UTV deaths per year is tremendous. These high-speed vehicles are dangerous if not driven without proper knowledge. They cause fatal accidents.

uTV accident statistics

Year	Number of Deaths
2017	120
2018	142
2019	165
2020	154
2021	138

Cause	Number of Deaths
Rollover	180
Collision	112
Speed-related	52
Mechanical	43
Other	76

Most Common UTV Injuries that causes UTV Deaths Per Year

UTVs or side-by-side vehicles are fun and adventurous, and anybody can operate them, but do you know that they also account for the most number of deaths in a year?

The US faces approximately 92,000 UTV deaths in a year. That is a lot! and many of them are Side-by-Side UTV Deaths Per Year.

Injury Type	Number of Cases
Head Injuries	250
Fractures	180
Lacerations	130
Internal Injuries	90
Back/Spine Injuries	70

most common aTV injuries – atv accidents 2023

Adolescents and young adults cause the most accidents, but everybody is prone to fatal accidents without proper knowledge.

If you are planning to buy a UTV, you should be careful of the most common ATV injuries that can happen to anyone.

Cause	Number of Cases
Rollover	300
Collision	220
Ejection	150
Overturn	90
Mechanical Failure	80

Most riders choose to ignore seatbelts and drive recklessly, which can create huge problems. Ignorance of basic safety equipment can cause death.

1. Fractures

Fractures can happen anytime, and riding a UTV makes you more prone to fractures. You may fall from the UTV, roll down the hill, and crash against a hard object.

Your bones might incur a crack or break from the weight of these heavy vehicles.

Even if you do not incur any fractures, you may hurt yourself or have bruises.

It is advisable to apply an ice pack to soothe the pain. Also, you should take proper care.

2. Internal Injuries

Rollovers while riding a UtV are a common sight. Your UTV might crash against a hard object or slide down the terrain, causing rollovers.

When a rollover happens, you have more chances of internal injuries.

The weight of the UTV can crush the rider and is one of the most common cause for Side-by-Side UTV Deaths Per Year.

You can prevent rollover accidents by-

1. Not starting at a high speed
2. Not turning the corners too fast
3. Carefully driving the downhill
4. Ride in even terrains
5. Do not lean back when going uphill.

Often riders overspeeding their vehicles or taking the wrong steering direction can cause many side-by-side deaths per year and Side by Side UTV Deaths Per Year. It is advisable to avoid taking any risks. 

3. Leg injuries

You may be scared by now but do not worry! Not all UTV accidents will take your life away.

You can incur knee or leg injuries like broken bones, burns, and scrapes. These can happen if you do not wear long pants while riding.

4. Spinal injuries

Most UTVs weigh more than six hundred pounds which makes them heavy-weight vehicles.

If the vehicle falls on you, you have a high chance of incurring spinal injuries due to high pressures.

Around 7.9 percent of UTV accidents and ATV accidents 2023 cause spinal injuries.

Your bad steering skill and riding on uneven terrain can cause spinal injuries.

5. Head injuries

Just like other sports vehicles, many UTVs do not have roofs.

Always wear a helmet while riding a UTV for safety. Not wearing a helmet can cause head concussions.

You may think that you can drive safely without a helmet because you generally do not drive fast.

You are wrong. Concussions can happen if you fall. It hardly matters if you are

fast or slow. It is because the weight of the vehicle is more and can crush you down. So, you should take proper protection.

Riding side-by-side is fun, but you should know these most common ATV injuries to avoid any fatal accidents.

Safety is of utmost importance, and it is better to avoid any risk. Do not risk your life for a UTV.

You don’t want to regret not checking this UTV Accident Statistics before making a decision. If I were you, I’d do everything I could to avoid the same mistake.

how most UTV accidents happen?

Do you wonder how most UTV accidents happen? Why are there so many side by side deaths every year? I will talk about some causes of UTV accidents in the next section.

So here are the Factors Contributing to UTV Accidents:

Factor	Description
Rollovers	UTVs are prone to rollovers due to their design and center of gravity.
Collisions	UTV accidents can involve collisions with other vehicles, objects, or pedestrians.
Speeding	Excessive speed increases the risk of losing control, especially on rough or unfamiliar terrain.
Inexperienced Drivers	Accidents often involve inexperienced or untrained drivers lacking proper knowledge.
Mechanical Failures	Accidents can result from brake failures, tire blowouts, steering malfunctions, etc.
Distracted Driving	Distractions while driving can divert attention and lead to accidents.
Alcohol or Substance Abuse	Operating a UTV under the influence significantly increases the risk of accidents.
Terrain and Environment	Accidents can be influenced by challenging terrain, adverse weather conditions, etc.

1. No experience
2. Negligence of drivers
3. Negligence of property owners
4. Manufacturing problems

Minnesota is famous for its trails and forests, and so is the favorite place of many UTV riders.

The high popularity of side-by-side vehicles and adventurous trails notice thousands of UTV deaths every year .

So, today I will talk about the causes of such disastrous accidents in the next sections.

One of the most popular issues of accidents is drunk driving. Alcohol gives rise to deficits in fundamental skills like how to operate a vehicle and control its speed, and respond to emergencies.

It is why they land up in danger. Alcohol can cause your vehicle to crash with other vehicles or hard objects.

While alcohol may amount to side by side deaths every year, other causes are equally

responsible for such untimely deaths.

• No experience

Every rider must have basic training on how to ride UTVs. Riders above 16 can get online training, whereas those falling between 10 and 15 must have an online course along with in-person training.

You can get valid certificates once you are 12 years old.

Most riders do not have any experience and think that anybody can drive these heavy-weight vehicles. Most riders that die in UTV accidents do not have any training, even if they

fall in the legal age range.

• Negligence of drivers

Accidents involving many UTVs happen in sports and horseplay. In Minnesota, riders above the age of 12 can cross public roads provided they have a certificate.

Those who are below 15 must be accompanied by an adult, who has a driver’s license.

Often drivers do not take proper care while riding on public roads.

They engage in drinking and risky driving behaviors, thus crashing their UTVs against hard objects.

• Negligence of property owners

Any UTV rider can operate his vehicle on private land with the landowner’s permission.

However, landowners must be responsible enough to check for any hazards on their lands, before they grant permission to the UTV riders.

Property hazards like avoidance of supervision for beginner riders, open holes, and other vehicles can give rise to accidents.

• UTV Accidents Causing DeathsManufacturing problems

You may have proper training and wear a safety guard but may still end up in accidents if your vehicle has manufacturing defects. In this case, the companies are responsible for accidents.

When can you expect compensation from a company?

You can ask for compensation from your company where UTV accidents take place due to the negligence of someone else. You will need a lawyer in some circumstances. They are as follows –

• Accidents take place involving a child where the adult has failed to supervise properly. These can happen when an adult teaches how to operate a UTV, rides it as an extracurricular activity, or adults providing a ride to minors on their personal property.

• Accidents taking place due to some hazards taking place from the negligence of owners, and the owner has permitted the rider to operate the UTV on his land.

• Accident taking place due to the negligence of another rider, or another person riding a vehicle on a public road.

• Accidents involving manufacturing defects.

How many UTV accidents happen a year?

The following table will present you with accidents from 2016 to 2018.

The report is prepared with the information available from Consumer Product Safety Risk Management System (CPSRMS), as well as, the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS).

As of September 2021, CPSC reported 2156 off-road vehicle accidents causing side by side deaths every year .

How many people died from ATV accidents by year?

Table 1 – Off-Road Vehicle Accidents Causing Deaths Between 2016 and 2018

Classification of Vehicle	Number of Fatal Incidents each year	Total Accidents
2016	2017	2018
ATV	565	520
ROV	142	175
UTV	15	16
Not Known (UTV or ROV)	17	25
Total	739	736

It proves that UTVs and ATV deaths 2022 are responsible for the most number of accidents.

Table 2– Reports of Off-Road Accidents Involving UTV deaths every year.

	Incident Count
Vehicle Classification	Number of Deceased People Per Accident	Total Fatality Accidents
Two	Three	Four
ATV	25	25
ROV	21	2
UTV	1	1
Not Known (UTV or ROV)	1	1
Total	48	2

Table 3– Total Number of Deaths in Each Section.

Classification of Vehicle	Number of Deaths Per Accident Year			Total Deaths
2016	2017	2018
ATV	575	529	487	1591
ROV	155	179	172	506
UTV	16	16	15	47
Not Known (UTV or ROV)	17	25	25	67
Total	763	749	699	2211

Side by Side UTV Deaths Per Year near Denver, CO

In 2022, 82 traffic deaths in Denver were reported and recently increased to 84 in an update out of which many were due to side by side accidents.

Side by Side UTV Deaths Per Year near Colorado

In 2022 at least 745 people died in traffic accidents on Colorado roads which is the highest figure in more than 40 years. Out of this data many deaths are due to side by side vehicles.

I check the brakes of my UTV before each ride to ensure they’re functioning properly.

states have the highest number of UTV accidents

Do you want to know which states have the highest number of UTV accidents? Read further to know more.

Between 2016 and 2018 these were the states with the highest number of off-highway vehicle accidents that also involve side-by-side deaths per year.

1. Texas – 139
2. West Virginia – 114
3. Pennsylvania – 112
4. Kentucky – 104
5. California -101

Among 558 fatal accidents, these states accounted for 579 deaths together

The study says that 298 accidents involved people below the age of 16, and 142 were below the age of 12. Forty-eight percent of the fatal incidents involved children, below the age of 12. 

Table 5 gives a broad idea about the number of accidents according to year and age, and also the percentage.

	Any Age	Under 16	Under 12
Year	Death	Deaths	All ages in percentage	Deaths	All ages in percentage	Percentage of Children below 16
2016	763	110	14%	51	7%	46%
2017	749	115	15%	51	7%	44%
2018	699	73	10%	40	6%	55%
Total	2211	298	13%	142	6%	48%

Conclusion

I agree that UTVs are like little beasts that can take you anywhere in the world but carelessness can take you to your deathbed.

We are not here to scare you, but you should take proper safety precautions to avoid any accidents. Due to their heavy weights and high speed accidents are a common sight. 

I realize that UTVs have made the life of those farmers who used to work all day long in the fields.

UTVs have made it easier to work in the scorching sun and snowy winter.

Many UTVs have air conditioners that help you work without feeling tired. You can even use UTV to plow in the snow.

However, one wrong move and everything will end. Inexperience and drunk driving are the top reasons for UTV accidents.

Inexperienced riders try to impress others by riding UTVs at higher speeds or taking sudden corners. Reckless driving on uneven terrains also causes UTVs to roll over.

I urge you to follow safety rules to avoid any bad situations. Now that you have read about some accidents, I believe that you will be cautious while driving a UTV.

Overall, in this article I have answered on the question ‘Side-by-Side UTV Deaths Per Year’. I hope that all of your answers are solved. Stay tuned with me.

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