ATV group hopes trail system will reduce deaths

In the wake of yet another ATV death in Sudbury, the president of the city's ATV association said he hopes the development of a network of regulated trails will lessen the chance of riders being injured or killed.

With groomed trails, the chance of running into obstacles such as trees or holes is lessened, said P.J. Parri of Greater Sudbury ATV. He said there would also be speed limits on the trails.

On July 27, a 55-year-old man was killed after the four-wheeler he was driving rolled over on Ironside Lake Road north of Capreol. The man's death is only one of several similar fatal ATV crashes in the city over the past few years.

Parri said he's saddened when he hears about ATV deaths.

He said they usually involve some form of driver error, and because of this, Greater Sudbury ATV also plans on offering ATV training courses after they manage to open a network of trails.

“I think it's just like driving a boat or a car or anything,” he said. “I think people need to respect the vehicle they're riding. It takes a split second for somebody to get killed on a machine.”

But Parri said his association is still about a year away from opening any trails, as it has proven difficult to convince land owners to allow the association to use their property. While he admits that some people might not want to use regulated ATV trails, he said many would like to see this kind of infrastructure in place.

Sudbury's new ATV bylaw, which allows people to drive their four-wheelers on some local roads, has also improved safety, Parri said.

That's because ATV users are no longer rushing down the road to get to bush trails because they're afraid of being caught by the police, he said.

“They're taking their time,” Parri said.

Dr. Steven Socransky, Health Sciences North's medical director of trauma services, said ATV injuries are a pretty common sight at the hospital.

Health Sciences North treats 150 to 200 people for ATV injuries every year, or about one person every other day. He said the machines are quite popular in the city, with about 25,000 off-road vehicles licensed in the city. While that figure includes snowmobiles, Socransky said ATV injuries surpassed snowmobile injuries a long time ago, as ATVs can be used year-round.

Most of these injuries are mild to moderate, but more serious trauma such as brain injuries sometimes occur.

“The deaths that happen, most of them don't happen in the hospital, because people are basically dead at the scene and don't come to the hospital,” Socransky said.

ATV crashes resulting in injuries usually involve men in their 20s — presumably, the doctor said, because that's the largest user demographic — and are more likely to happen on weekends in the summer, he said.

While children are technically allowed to drive ATVs under some conditions, Socransky said the Canadian Pediatric Society recommended four years ago those under 16 be banned from doing so because of the risk of injury.

Speed, alcohol use and lack of helmets are risk factors for injury and death, but Socransky said the majority of injuries are caused when someone is caught beneath a machine.

“The worst ones are ... they're on a hill and the ATV rolls on top of them,” he said. “That thing weighs a few hundred pounds, so it's always going to do some damage.”

Socransky said he's saddened when he sees young people at the hospital whose lives have been changed forever by an ATV accident.

“The one that's the most sad is seeing the people that are brain injured coming in over the years afterwards with feeding tubes and still needing their parents to care for them when they're 30 and 40 years old,” he said.

“Those are the ones I remember the most, because I keep seeing these patients coming in, and it's ... wrecked their lives.”

Those who want to learn more about the drive to open regulated ATV trails in the city are asked to visit www.greatersudburyatv.com.