ATV Accident Death and Injury Statistics – New Jersey

In an attempt to limit all-terrain vehicle accidents, New Jersey has various provisions linked to ensuring ATV safety. Individuals under the age of 14 aren’t allowed to operate such vehicles. Individuals under the age of 18 cannot operate ATVs unless they’ve completed an all-terrain vehicle safety education and training course.

There’s a reason for the introduction of such precautionary measures. ATVs look stable, but they operate poorly at high speeds. As a result, the vehicles are likely to flip over due to the design specifics. On occasions, a crash could also lead to an ATV fire or an explosion.

While the state does have safety regulations in place to reduce the risk of crashes, ATV-related injuries and fatalities still do occur.

New Jersey Injury and Fatality Statistics

Due to the safety measures that it has introduced, this state has a relatively low number of ATV crashes with a lethal outcome. In the period from 1982 to 2011, there were 86 crashes that caused the death of a driver or a passenger. The number was 11 for the period from 2012 to 2014.

While most of these crashes are the result of the improper operation or the lack of safety equipment, ATV malfunctioning has also occurred in the past. The vehicles may roll over and catch fire or even explode as a result of a fuel leak. Entire lines of ATVs have been recalled from the market due to such vulnerabilities.

Major ATV Crashes in the State

While there aren’t that many ATV crashes in this state, a big percentage of those that occur involve teenagers.

A 14-year-old operating an all-terrain vehicle was killed in an April 2017 crash. Unfortunately, the teen driver was using the ATV on a paved road in Tabernacle. At some point, he lost control, and the vehicle flipped over. The teen was pronounced dead on the spot. Two passengers sustained minor injuries in the crash.

A similar accident occurred in Hillsborough, although luckily, it didn’t have a fatal outcome. Two people aged 19 were seriously injured when they got ejected from an ATV. Both of them were transported by helicopter for immediate treatment at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. The police investigators believe that alcohol consumption led to the unfortunate outcome.

In July 2017, a 62-year-old man was found dead along the New Jersey-New York border. Police discovered him pinned underneath an ATV.