As people head outside for the long weekend, provincial police have issued a report outlining ATV fatalities.
The report examines 167 off-road vehicle deaths that have taken place in the last 10 years on OPP-patrolled trails. The report is designed to shine a light on the circumstance surrounding those deaths and how to prevent them going forward.
In 74 of those deaths, police found the riders were not wearing helmets at the time of the crash.
At the same time, the report identifies that riders were ejected from the vehicle in 154 of those incidents.
“The OPP remains concerned about the significant number of off-roaders who may falsely believe they can survive serious head trauma better than those who are ejected from other types of motorized vehicles,” the report states.
Police say more than two dozen of the deceased were teenagers or were even younger.
“These tragic, preventable deaths speak to the importance of all ORV users respecting the law and setting excellent examples for children who are being introduced to off-roading, whether as a new rider or a passenger.”
The OPP askes that riders be mindful when out on the trails this weekend and to always wear a helmet when on an ATV.
"You have to be a minimum of 12-years-old on an appropriately sized ATV. So if you're 12-years-old and you can't reach the pedals and the controls. You're not allowed to ride it,” says Alain Pominville-Central of the Ontario Federation of All Terrain Vehicles
Both the OPP and the OFATV say the safest place to ride is on the trails.
“Sunday is our first club ride, and we're expecting a lot of members to come out for the ride. Should be a beautiful day."
