ATV deaths, injuries show need for action

The numbers are alarming, and the calls to address them are neither unexpected nor unreasonable. But reducing the rate of injuries and deaths related to the use of all-terrain vehicles will not be easily accomplished.

The death last week of a 59-year-old woman in South Indian Lake, about 770 kilometres north of Winnipeg, was the fifth ATV-related fatality in Manitoba this year. It’s a particularly disturbing statistic in light of the fact 2025 was the deadliest year in more than a decade for ATV riders in this province.

Eleven people lost their lives in ATV accidents last year, according to recently released data, and 227 required hospital care for injuries sustained while operating off-road vehicles. There have been 68 ATV-related deaths in this province since 2017.

Further, there have been 598 ATV-related injuries recorded since 2015, according to information from Manitoba Public Insurance. Yet even that number is likely too low as MPI says owners are not required to have collision coverage — unlike passenger vehicle owners — which means many incidents likely go unreported.

The obvious dangers of ATV use and abuse have prompted questions about whether it’s time for Manitoba to follow the lead of other provinces that have made ATV safety training mandatory for users of off-road vehicles.

“Maybe it’s something we have to look at,” said All Terrain Vehicle Association of Manitoba president Dave Lee, who added the decision regarding making safety courses a requirement rather than an encouraged option lies ultimately with the provincial government.

While it’s true the province should be doing everything in its power to reduce the number of injuries and deaths related to ATV use, the simple fact of the matter is that because of how and where such off-road conveyances are most often used, any restrictions or requirements that might be imposed would be almost impossible to enforce.

ATVs are, by their nature and design, employed mostly in rural and often out-of-the-way locations, where monitoring who’s driving or riding on them cannot easily be monitored. The ATV association encourages its members to operate their vehicles on designated trails, to wear helmets and/or safety belts and to take a safety course before attempting to drive an off-road vehicle, but the recently released statistics suggest a significant number of ATV users do not follow those recommendations.

As the CBC reported earlier this year, helmet use is mandatory in Manitoba for anyone driving or riding on an off-road vehicle, unless the vehicle is being used for farming, commercial fishing, hunting or trapping. If the vehicle is equipped with a seatbelt and rollover protection — like a UTV or side-by-side — a helmet is not required, but use of a seatbelt is.

The majority of last year’s ATV and UTV-related fatalities were described as rollover accidents, and in each case, the riders were not wearing either a helmet or a seatbelt as required by Manitoba law.

ATVs are compact, relatively easy to transport and operate and, by all accounts, can be a lot of fun to drive. For a large number of Manitobans, ATV use is a recreational lifestyle choice and often a family affair, with youngsters encouraged to take part in the activities that their parents and other relatives have embraced. Manitoba’s legislation allows individuals under 14 years of age to operate an off-road vehicle as long as they’re supervised and accompanied by a parent or an adult authorized by the parent.

But this ease of access and use has clearly also led some to believe — wrongly, safety advocates would argue — that operating an ATV is as simple as climbing aboard and hitting the trail.

The debate over mandatory safety training will no doubt continue, but what needs to happen immediately is an increased focus, by the province and organizations that represent ATV enthusiasts, on public education and an effort to make safety information as easily accessible as possible in the communities and environments where ATV use is most frequent.

“We have the tools and connections needed for you to operate these machines correctly, safely and responsibly,” says Lee. “Don’t take your personal safety for granted.”

» Winnipeg Free Press and The Brandon Sun