News Release: Practical Training for Off-Road Vehicles Will Help Reduce Injuries and Fatalities

March 12, 2025

Safety NL, formerly known as the Newfoundland and Labrador Safety Council, expresses it deepest condolences to the families and friends of a young person who was killed this week while riding a side-by-side off-road vehicle on a section of the T-Railway near Gander.

“It is deeply regrettable that incidents like this continue to happen here and across the country,” said Sean Kelly, President and CEO of Safety NL. “As a safety training provider, we believe proper hands-on practical training can help reduce the risks of serious injury and fatality for young and new drivers.” At this time, there is no hands-on practical training for recreational users of off-road vehicles in this province. Last summer, the provincial government’s online training for riders under 16 became mandatory, which is a step in the right direction, but it needs to be accompanied by practical training.

Safety NL currently provides nationally certified training to several commercial clients throughout the province and hopes to extend its training to recreational users, and particularly youth. Our off-road vehicle instructors are capable to instructing in the use of ATVs, UTVs (utility vehicles), side by sides, and snowmobiles. Those who complete the course receive a certificate from the Canada Safety Council.

Safety NL has presented the Minister of Digital Government and Service NL with a proposal to conduct a ‘practical training pilot project’ and hopes government looks favourably on the proposal. The pilot project would provide useful information on how to develop province-wide training that includes online and practical components.

Recently, the Canadian Paediatric Society released a position statement on the risks off-road vehicles pose to the health and safety of children and adolescents. The statement provides some alarming data about severe injuries and fatalities in children and adolescents.

• Children and adolescents comprise an estimated 12% to 15% of ATV riders, but 27% to 35% of related fatalities.
• Between 2012 and 2022, 6452 children and adolescents were hospitalized (an average of 537 cases per year) and 230 died (an average of 20 deaths per year) due to off-road vehicle injuries.
• Although 54% of fatalities occurred in adolescents 15 to 19 years of age, 37 children younger than 9 years of age died, including 10 identified as drivers at time of injury.
• Side by Sides account for greater than 50% of severe injuries or fatalities in riders under the age of 16.
• Leading causes of death and disability in paediatric ATV crashes include traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and multisystem crush-related trauma, the latter directly correlating with increasing vehicle size.

The position statement offers recommendations for health care providers and governments to reduce preventable harms associated with ORVs in the paediatric population. You can access the position statement at Off-road vehicle use by children and adolescents: Strategies to prevent injury | Canadian Paediatric Society

Kelly said Safety NL has a great relationship with the Minister and staff of the Department of Digital Government and Service NL and looks forward to working with them to advance safety training for recreational users of off-road vehicles. Practical training doesn’t have to be mandatory, but it should be available, accessible, affordable and properly regulated. Off-road vehicles are very popular in this province and can be great fun, but they have to be operated by persons who are confident and competent to handle such powerful vehicles. Kelly says if even one serious injury or one fatality can be prevented through this training, then it is well worth the modest investment needed to provide the service.

Sean Kelly
President and CEO
Safety NL
709-754-0210
skelly@safetynl.ca
www.safetynl.ca