ATV Accident Death and Injury Statistics – Nebraska

While ATVs are a preferred method of transportation in rural areas, they do pose a risk of accidents. The design of these all-terrain vehicles is one that makes them susceptible. ATVs are prone to flipping over when driven at a high speed. Occasionally, malfunctions and design shortcomings could contribute to fires and explosions after the accident.

In Nebraska, just like in many other states, the fatalities occur mostly on paved roads. The reason is simple – ATVs are off-road vehicles. As such, they’re not meant to be driven at high speed on a paved surface.

Nebraska ATV Death and Injury Statistics

Nebraska doesn’t top the chart when it comes to deaths associated with ATV use. In the period from 1982 to 2012, there were 123 fatalities caused by an ATV crash. From 2013 to 2015, there were 14 crashes with a fatal outcome, the Consumer Product Safety Commission reports.

ATV Fire Hazard Considerations

While companies are working hard towards ensuring the safety of all-terrain vehicles, there have been numerous examples of faulty designs and engineering errors that have increased the risk of combustion and explosions.

Polaris is one of the companies that have become infamous for a massive ATV recall. Prior to the removal of the vehicles from the market, there were reports of about 160 ATVs catching fire, one of them having a lethal outcome.

Serious Injuries and ATV Fatalities

There haven’t been reports about ATV fires and explosions in Nebraska but multiple people have lost their lives or they’ve suffered a serious injury as a result of a crash.

At the end of June 2017, a woman lost her life after an ATV crash in Yankton. The 21-year-old was riding an ATV when she “failed to maneuver” on the road. The driver was ejected from the ATV and pronounced dead at the location.

A 16-year-old girl from Central Nebraska was killed in an ATV accident due to a failure to undertake precautionary measures. She was driving close to Wolbach when she hit a rut. The teenager wasn’t wearing a helmet, and when the ATV flipped over on top of her, it caused serious injuries. The teenager died later on in the hospital.

One of the most shocking accidents led to the death of a six-year-old. In 2011, a boy from Chadron was a passenger on the ATV that was being driven by a 16-year-old girl. The teenager lost control, and the vehicle flipped over. The driver had her collarbone broken while the six-year-old passenger was killed on the spot.