(Juneau) The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is encouraging off-road enthusiasts to earn their ATV/UTV safety certification.
Any operator at least 12-years-old and born on or after January 1st, 1988, is required to complete a DNR-approved safety course and carry their proof of certification while riding. However, the DNR and safety officials recommend all operators brush up on their skills and knowledge by taking an approved course.
Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt says ATV or UTV riders in the area need to be cautious while on busier roadways.
“I would hate to have anybody…let alone any of our deputies roll up on another one of these fatalities,” says Schmidt. “It’s no different than a traffic fatality with a vehicle. We roll up on these and it’s another family, it’s another brother, another sister, another mother, father, friends that are losing a loved one.”
In 2024 alone, 40 people died in ATV and UTV crashes in Wisconsin with most of them not wearing helmets. One of those fatalities occurred in Fox Lake in September.
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–Photo courtesy of the DNR
