With ATV deaths hitting a high mark this year, ATV safety certification may be more important than ever.
Oneida County Sheriff’s Department helps put on ATV safety classes four times a year. Deputy Brad Fogerty says his classes emphasize rules and regulations.
“Rules of the road. And what causes the majority of the crashes. In every class I pull out the fatality sheet, and we actually go through each of them, and look at, this is how people are getting hurt, this is how people are dying riding an ATV. And a lot of it is just basic safety rules.
Fogerty says enrollment has been down slightly this year, but tends to average between 15 and 30 people per class.
Fogerty says most people who take the class are around age 12, but it’s not limited to young people.
“As ATVs are becoming more popular, even older adults are taking it. A lot of parents are actually taking it with their kids, that have never actually taken a safety class before.”
Fogerty’s $10 course is coming up on October 26 and 27th.
The DNR lists 18 deaths so far this year relating to ATVs and UTVs. It’s the highest since 2009. Only two of those killed were safety certified by the state.
