ATV Accident Death and Injury Statistics – Ohio

Ohio is one of the states where ATVs and other off-road vehicles are extremely popular. This popularity and a belief that ATVs are safer than other vehicles have contributed to numerous injuries and deaths through the years.

In 2007 alone, more than 10,000 Ohio residents were sent to the emergency room as a result of a crash. The state has responded by introducing regulations and safety precautions aimed at bringing the number of crashes and fatalities down.

ATV Accident Death and Injury Statistics for Ohio

In the period from 1982 to 2011, 361 people in Ohio were killed in ATV-related crashes. The Consumer Product Safety Commission, however, reports that the number of accidents could be much higher.

Just like many other states, Ohio has cumulative statistics for different types of accidents involving different types of vehicles. Also, various ATV accidents occur on private plots and they’re not reported.

Fire Hazard and Other Malfunctions

ATVs are more prone to catching fire than other vehicles. The design specifics of the offroad vehicle are the ones that contribute to the higher risk.

There have been instances of spontaneous ATV combustion in Ohio. In June 2016, an ATV caught fire while hauling mulch. The vehicle was destroyed in the fire, and it also caused some pavement/cable damages. Luckily, nobody was injured.

The fire hazard has been a reason for multiple ATV recalls through the years. The various Polaris ATV recalls that occurred recently are just one example of a faulty design that can potentially jeopardize the driver and the passengers.

The Latest Ohio ATV Accidents

While new cases of ATV combustion haven’t occurred, there are multiple instances of people getting injured or losing their lives in an ATV crash.

Another crash that occurred in May 2017 killed one person and injured two. The crash occurred in Monroe Township. A 56-year-old man was found at the location with fatal injuries. The two other passengers, aged 28 and 21, were taken to Cincinnati Medical Center for the treatment of major injuries.

Also in May, a man died close to northern Guernsey County after getting ejected from an ATV. He was a passenger on it when he fell backward. The man sustained severe head trauma and died a couple of hours after the accident.

One of the most prominent cases from Ohio occurred in 2007 when an ATV accident caused the death of Ellie Sand. Ellie fell from a Yamaha Rhino ATV and her family decided to file a lawsuit against the company, believing that the vehicle was defective (prone to rolling over). In 2011, the court found out that although the Yamaha Rhino ATV is indeed defective, it did not cause the death of Ellie Sand. Rather, the actions of the ATV’s driver led to the fatal accident.