ATV safety precautions as accidents continue in Missouri

COLE COUNTY, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Cole County ATV crash left four kids in a Columbia hospital Sunday morning. Another man was seriously injured in Cooper County after an ATV crash Saturday. Two other reports of ATV crashes were recorded in the past week from Moniteau County and Randolph County.

An increase in off-road riders starts anytime temperatures rise, Cpl. Kyle Green with the Missouri State Highway Patrol said. But the chance of getting into an accident also grows.

“They're not toys at all,” Green added. “But that's the way many people view them.”

Last year alone, the Missouri State Highway Patrol recorded 284 total ATV crashes in the state. Over 70% of those resulted in injuries and 23 of those crashes were fatal. In many cases, Green said safety devices in the vehicle weren’t being used if they had them.

“That's unfortunately where we get many of these serious crashes,” Green said. “Where people aren't wearing helmets or they're not wearing the seatbelts and they get thrown out into the woods.”

At the same time, all-terrain vehicle crashes present a different problem for first responders. Cole County EMS said Sunday’s crash was in a remote location.

“ATVs present a little bit more of an operational issue for us,” Eric Hoy the Chief of Emergency Medical Services said. “We think there was a delay in activating 911 because they were in such a rural area that they had to get somewhere where they could actually call.”

Additionally, ambulances were not able to reach the scene alone. The EMS Incident Commander requested mutual aid for all-terrain transport vehicles from the Cole County Emergency Response Team, the Jefferson City Fire Department and Osage Ambulance District.

“It really limits the capabilities of the first responders,” Green said. “If you're going to be out on property that's in a hard-to-reach spot, hard to locate, then you need to let somebody know… in case something happens, at least we have an idea where to start searching.”

Driving an all-terrain vehicle impaired is just that too- impaired driving. In 2022, the Missouri State Highway Patrol recorded 50 ATV accidents caused by drinking or drugs. 

“Operating these while impaired is dangerous for not only them but for the other people that are out on the roadways,” Green added.

In Missouri, there’s no set age to drive an all-terrain vehicle. While children under 18 must legally wear a helmet, they can drive freely on private property. In the same way, the Missouri State Highway Patrol warns it’s the parent’s responsibility to make sure the kid is ready “mentally and physically” to drive an ATV. 

Wearing a helmet and seatbelt, if the vehicle has one, can decrease the chances of being injured in an ATV or UTV crash Green said. Letting someone know where you’re headed and having a way to contact 911 if needed can help emergency services get to you more quickly if needed. 

Driving an ATV with the same mentality as driving a vehicle could help avoid an accident completely. 

“Just be sure to take extra caution just like you would in your vehicle,” Hoy added.

Drivers can find more on ATV or UTV rules and regulations for Missouri here.