[PBH]

3 people injured in head-on OHV collision near Cedar Breaks

CEDAR CITY — Three people were injured in a head-on collision between two off-highway vehicles on an ATV trail near Cedar Breaks National Monument early Saturday evening. The incident was reported at approximately 5 p.m. on a trail in the Tippetts Valley area, southeast of Brian Head. The two...

www.stgeorgeutah.com

Lt. Jeff Humphries said the two vehicles were traveling in opposite directions on the two-track trail, which he described as being “saturated with water and very muddy.”

“Both vehicles took a blind curve at approximately 40 miles an hour and were unable to stop due to conditions,” Humphries told Cedar City News.

...
Nobody in either vehicle was wearing a helmet, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

However, its driver was confirmed to have been driving under the influence, he said.

“The DUI was not a contribution to the accident,” Humphries added.

??

Scary deal. 40mph on a dry road is too fast. 40mph on a "saturated with water and very muddy" road is asking for trouble. The contradictory statement is confusing. How could DUI not be a contributing factor if the driver was under the influence.


what concerns me any more is just the shear number of people out on ATVs anymore. I makes me wonder what might happen if me and my family are out on a ride -- are we in danger of the next non-DUI contributing driver under the influence coming around a blind corner on a muddy road doing 40mph?

 

[TPrawitt91]

Sad to see that is really has become an issue. I understand people want to enjoy themselves and go for a ride in their buggy, but trails are being destroyed and drivers are more and more reckless each year.

 

[Vanilla]

The contradictory statement is confusing. How could DUI not be a contributing factor if the driver was under the influence.

This bugs me for so many reasons. Mostly, a law enforcement officer calling this an "accident." Let's be clear here: If you drink alcohol or take any impairing drugs and then choose to get behind the wheel of a vehicle, anything that happens after that is not "accidental" at all. It was entirely preventable. We call these crashes and collisions, not accidents. I hate that word.

Even if they were not under the influence of impairing substances, I'd argue that what PBH said was true: their actions were reckless driving that way under those conditions, particularly on a blind curve, as reported in the story. "Accidents" are when something happens that was not preventable. Drugs and alcohol take things out of the "accident" realm, as does sheer recklessness.

I'll get off my soapbox now. Wait, no I won't. If you've had anything to drink at all, don't drive. Impairment starts at your first drink, whether you feel it or not. If you're doing drugs, don't drive. Ever. End of story. Now I'll get off my soapbox.

 

[Critter]

This reminds me of the last time that I was up on Monroe Mountain.

I was headed south in a F350 when I approached a blind corner. Then here came a SXS with a very young kid driving it around it on my side of the road. Granted these roads are not that wide to begin with but I was as far to the right as I could get when they came around the corner and came very close to hitting me head on. The kids mom was sitting in the passenger seat and her eyes bugged out when all she could see was my trucks grill. We missed by inches.

But a major problem is enforcement of the rules that exist. There isn't enough county sheriffs and or other law enforcement to handle the increase of ATV traffic on the roads much less the paved ones. It would be interesting if they threw up a check point on a weekend and just see how many are driving impaired, or under age for the size of the machine among other things.

 

[Vanilla]

It would be interesting if they threw up a check point on a weekend and just see how many are driving impaired, or under age for the size of the machine among other things.

Or if they've completed the online education course that EVERY single person operating an OHV on public lands will have had to complete to operate that OHV starting in January...

 

[Critter]

Or if they've completed the online education course that EVERY single person operating an OHV on public lands will have had to complete to operate that OHV starting in January...

I haven't heard about this, is it for everyone or age restricted?

 

[Vanilla]

I haven't heard about this, is it for everyone or age restricted?

I emphasized "EVERY" for a reason, critter!

HB0180

le.utah.gov

 

[backcountry]

I did an FPO ride along years ago and we pulled over a mother wearing a helmet on an ATV while she held her 9 month old in her arm. She was going faster than we were on the main road. I'll never forget that level of reckless disregard for life.

Too many people get complacent with the privilege and risks of driving.

 

[Catherder]

what concerns me any more is just the shear number of people out on ATVs anymore. I makes me wonder what might happen if me and my family are out on a ride -- are we in danger of the next non-DUI contributing driver under the influence coming around a blind corner on a muddy road doing 40mph?

This to me is the two edged sword that has arisen from the popularity of both OHV's and the trail systems that have been set up. For years, when I was in the "435", locals constantly fretted about the gubmint enforcing closures of the jeep and OHV trails, sometimes with justification. The trail systems then were developed and have become immensely popular and a positive economic force in some communities. This development makes FS/BLM trail closures far less likely. It also brings about new problems such as what is discussed here. The answer would "seem" to be more enforcement and regulation so tragedies like above are less frequent.

Would the locals and the OHV community allow that politically?

 

[2full]

The Whole key and root cause of the “accident“ was the 40mph deal.
I can’t believe the way so many of them fly around on those trails. It drives me nuts. I personally like to putt putt around and look for animals and see the sights. I won’t even ride up on the road across the top going to Kolob anymore, unless I’m in a truck.

 

[colorcountrygunner]

I just have to shake my head at the stuff I see not only from ATVs, but pickups and everything else on mountain roads. People flying around blind corners at ridiculous speeds taking up all the room on the road they care to. It's like they think they are on a closed course and there is no chance they will encounter anybody coming from the opposite direction. Look at all our threads bitching about how crowded the mountains are getting. Not sure why anybody wouldn't expect any company. I have had some pretty close calls with these [email protected] in recent years.

 

[colorcountrygunner]

I did an FPO ride along years ago and we pulled over a mother wearing a helmet on an ATV while she held her 9 month old in her arm. She was going faster than we were on the main road. I'll never forget that level of reckless disregard for life.

Too many people get complacent with the privilege and risks of driving.

I saw something similar a couple weekends ago. A motorcycle pulling out of the Diamond Fork campground with an adult up front, an adult in the back, and an 8ish year old looking girl sandwhiched in the middle. No helmets on anybody.

 

[middlefork]

I emphasized "EVERY" for a reason, critter!

HB0180

le.utah.gov

Nice. Is there any plan to advertise this provision? It can't hurt but I doubt it will help much.

One thing for sure a lot of people like to ride fast anymore. Maybe the technology committee can work on speed governors next.

 

[PBH]

I won’t even ride up on the road across the top going to Kolob anymore, unless I’m in a truck.

I don't even drive my truck across the top any more. I just go down and through Virgin. Oil the whole way.

(Cedar Mountain is turning into a zoo)

 

[Bax*]

I pay for OHV insurance on my machines and the price has gone up considerably in the last few years due to the number of accidents that are occurring.

sad deal for all involved.

be careful out there

 

[Vanilla]

Nice. Is there any plan to advertise this provision?

Not sure. It's probably like any other law the legislature passes: It is the expectation of the public to know the laws. Ignorance of the law is not a defense. $150 fine if you operate an OHV without having taken the proper course.

This is my good deed for the day, making you all aware of it! 🤣

 

[Critter]

The problem is that any dirt road in a area where there are designated ATV trails is turning into a zoo.

That last time I was on the Monroe they had a rally or ATV ride going on that started in Antimony and ended over in Kingston. You could see the route by just looking for the dust cloud. Most were running at close to 40mph across all these dirt roads and it was hard to tell if they could even see the taillights of the SXS that was in front of them. They took over the parking lot at Upper Box Creek Reservoir to the point that you couldn't even think of parking if you wanted to try to fish. This went on from around 8am until later in the evening as they wound around to head back to civilization.

This was going on during the weekend of the buck muzzle loader hunt.

I've seen the same thing up on the Manti and over on the Plateau.

 

[Wyo2ut]

The problem is that any dirt road in a area where there are designated ATV trails is turning into a zoo.

That last time I was on the Monroe they had a rally or ATV ride going on that started in Antimony and ended over in Kingston. You could see the route by just looking for the dust cloud. Most were running at close to 40mph across all these dirt roads and it was hard to tell if they could even see the taillights of the SXS that was in front of them. They took over the parking lot at Upper Box Creek Reservoir to the point that you couldn't even think of parking if you wanted to try to fish. This went on from around 8am until later in the evening as they wound around to head back to civilization.

This was going on during the weekend of the buck muzzle loader hunt.

I've seen the same thing up on the Manti and over on the Plateau.

This is an every year thing on the Monroe come muzzy hunt.

 

[Wyo2ut]

Not sure. It's probably like any other law the legislature passes: It is the expectation of the public to know the laws. Ignorance of the law is not a defense. $150 fine if you operate an OHV without having taken the proper course.

This is my good deed for the day, making you all aware of it! 🤣

Most of our public land in southern Utah will not be affected by this law because they don't enforce any of the OHV laws already in place.

 

[Vanilla]

I don't expect this law to be enforced much at all, if I'm being honest. It wasn't something that law enforcement asked for, by any means. But I know I will be doing the course regardless of whether I think I'll get caught or not by ignoring it.