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Minnesota News
Kirsti Marohn

Deaths from ATV crashes in Minnesota surged in 2024

Benton County Deputy Sheriff Cody Eisenschenk leads Elizabeth Finke
Benton County Deputy Sheriff Cody Eisenschenk (left) leads Elizabeth Finke, 12, Princeton, through a check of her controls during a hands-on ATV safety class for ages 10-15 on Sept. 11, 2022 in Foley, Minn.
Kimm Anderson for MPR News

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Minnesota is on pace for a record number of deaths related to deadly all-terrain vehicle crashes this year.

As of Nov. 5, 30 people have died in ATV crashes on Minnesota roads, ditches and trails in 2024. That number surpasses a previous high of 27 people killed in 2020, according to data tracked by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources for the past two decades.

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The number of ATV crashes — 253 — is on par with recent years, said Capt. Jon Paurus, an education and safety training manager for the DNR based at Camp Ripley.

“It’s just unfortunately, we’ve had quite a few more individuals killed this year than what we have in previous years,” Paurus said.

The ages of the victims range from teens to 85. The crashes occurred in 18 different counties, from Roseau in the far northwest part of the state to Fillmore in the southeast corner.

Paurus said he hasn’t analyzed the crash details yet to know if there are common factors. But typical causes include operators driving too fast for the conditions and rolling over or striking a fixed object such as a tree, he said.

Several fatal crashes occurred when people were driving an ATV on a road and either rolled over or were struck by a vehicle. Paurus said the machines’ low-pressure tires are not designed for paved surfaces, so braking hard or turning abruptly can lead to a loss of control or rollover.

Young people riding ATVs too large for them also can cause rollovers, if they’re not big enough to control them.

Paurus said ATV riders can increase their chances of survival by taking safety training, wearing a helmet, staying off roads and not driving too fast for the conditions. Avoiding alcohol and drugs before operating an ATV is also a must, he said.

People riding a class 2 or side-by-side ATV should always wear a seatbelt to avoid being ejected in a rollover, Paurus said.

In January, two brothers, ages 11 and 15, died after their side-by-side utility terrain vehicle, or UTV, collided with a pickup truck north of Willmar. A third brother was injured but survived.