ATV accident Death and Injury Statistics - Delaware

All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are small, single-rider vehicles used for travel and recreation in off-road settings. They are popular in rural areas where riders go four-wheeling through forests, open fields, or muddy and rocky land. It is illegal to ride this type of vehicle on paved streets in Delaware.

ATVs are more stable than dirt bikes due to more wheels. Some older models have three wheels, and all new ones come with four wheels, increasing stability even more. Still, use of these types of vehicles can be dangerous, leading to serious injury and death. It is important to wear protective gear such as helmets, gloves, and goggles to avoid serious injury or death.

Fire Hazards

Polaris Industries, a major manufacturer of the vehicles, has recently recalled two models because the engines can overheat. If the drain tube on the turbo system comes loose, it can cause fires. There have been 19 reported ATV fires resulting in 6 burn victims. On such malfunction even resulted in a young child being burned and a forest fire that burned 15 acres of woodland. This recall is for all 2016 Polaris RZR XP Turbos and RZR XP 4 Turbos.

Delaware Deaths

In 2016 a Delaware man died when his ATV rolled down an embankment and landed on top of him. Police identified the man as Paul C. W. Fleetwood from Seaford. Fleetwood road a 2001 Polaris Sportsman 700 four-wheeler on private property around 4:22 PM on Sunday, June 12 of that year. The ground gave way under him, and he rolled down a 10-foot embankment. He was not found until the next night when he was discovered under his vehicle in a ditch of shallow water. He was not wearing a helmet, and police suspect alcohol was involved.

Railroad track inspectors discovered a body pinned under an ATV in Millsboro in October of 2013. Frank J. Wilkerson, 57, had been riding a Honda Ranger in the woods when he hit loose rocks and rolled down a hill. The vehicle landed on top of Wilkerson, killing him.

Serious Injuries

Loss of life is not the only danger when it comes to riding these vehicles. People have been critically injured from ATV accidents.

In July of 2016, an 18-year-old woman was critically injured when the four-wheeler she was riding in the Winterthur area flipped over. She was admitted to Christiana Hospital with head injuries.

In April of 2015, a man was taken to Christiana Hospital with serious injuries to his chest and arm after crashing an ATV into a tree at high speed in Brookside Park near Newark.
In August of 2015, Dalton T. Weiss, 21, was charged with driving under the influence and endangering a minor after his four-wheeler hit a log and then crashed into a tree. The 13-year-old passenger jumped off, but Weiss was air-lifted to the hospital with critical injuries.
In October of 2014, a 14-year-old Middletown boy was flown to the Christiana Hospital in serious condition after the ATV he was driving crashed.