WEBVTT 00:00.000 --> 00:18.840 Van said he could not meet with the mayor or tour election sites, but said Johnson was 00:18.840 --> 00:22.040 welcome to visit him in D.C. 00:22.040 --> 00:28.280 Turning to the outdoors with summer at its peak, ATV and side-by-side vehicles are out 00:28.280 --> 00:33.920 in force across thousands of miles of trails in Wisconsin, and we have the most registered 00:33.920 --> 00:38.120 off-road vehicles of any state at more than half a million. 00:38.120 --> 00:43.840 The explosion in riders comes with a steady increase, though, in fatality and injury accidents 00:43.840 --> 00:45.680 involving the vehicles. 00:45.680 --> 00:51.920 A new law went into effect in June that requires seatbelt use, part of work to enhance the safety 00:51.920 --> 00:54.640 of ATVs and UTVs. 00:54.640 --> 00:59.840 The DNR Conservation Warden, Jake Holzclaw, oversees the off-highway vehicle program and 00:59.840 --> 01:04.400 joins us now from Eau Claire, and thanks very much for being here. 01:04.400 --> 01:06.160 Absolutely, look forward to it. 01:06.160 --> 01:12.160 So how busy is it out there on the ATV routes? 01:12.160 --> 01:13.160 Yeah, great question. 01:13.160 --> 01:17.520 It seems like it's getting busier every day, but Wisconsin, like you said, we have over 01:17.520 --> 01:22.280 half a million registered machines, it seems like that number is going up every year, and 01:22.280 --> 01:29.440 we have about 2,500 miles of off-road trail routes, and then we have over 65,000 miles 01:29.440 --> 01:32.160 of on-road routes. 01:32.160 --> 01:37.400 So basically, roadways, you know, roadway routes shared with other motor vehicles, so 01:37.400 --> 01:39.560 it really does keep us busy. 01:39.560 --> 01:46.280 As we've said, the uptick in the number of riders, though, also results in an increase 01:46.280 --> 01:49.720 in accidents and injuries and even fatalities. 01:50.720 --> 01:56.920 Yeah, unfortunately, I think that that's just kind of a byproduct of the increased numbers. 01:56.920 --> 02:01.560 We really started to see an increase around 2020, 2021. 02:01.560 --> 02:04.440 I think people were just with everything else going on. 02:04.440 --> 02:11.440 They were trying to get outdoors, find something to do, and it really has stayed steadily increasing 02:11.440 --> 02:12.440 ever since then. 02:12.440 --> 02:17.480 And when you have more people on the landscape, you have more folks that potentially are, 02:17.480 --> 02:22.400 you know, not being safe and not following the rules, and then we have seen an uptick 02:22.400 --> 02:23.800 in crashes because of that. 02:23.800 --> 02:28.560 So how and why do these crashes mostly happen? 02:28.560 --> 02:29.720 Well, it's any number of reasons. 02:29.720 --> 02:34.360 A number of our crashes are going to be alcohol or drug related. 02:34.360 --> 02:39.640 The majority of them would be alcohol related when we're looking at, you know, some kind 02:39.640 --> 02:44.880 of substance, so to speak, that's causing folks to crash. 02:44.880 --> 02:49.520 And so I think folks need to remember that, you know, just like the motor vehicle world, 02:49.520 --> 02:53.240 you really need to make a smart decision and realize that even with these recreational 02:53.240 --> 03:00.000 vehicles like ATVs and UTVs, maybe even more so, they're a very dynamic machine and folks 03:00.000 --> 03:03.640 have to be, you want to be on your best, right? 03:03.640 --> 03:05.240 You want your mind to be working the best. 03:05.240 --> 03:08.640 You want your body, your reaction time to be working the best when you're out operating 03:08.640 --> 03:09.640 these. 03:09.640 --> 03:11.600 One of the other things is that people need to remember. 03:11.600 --> 03:15.400 I think they sometimes forget that these machines handle differently unpaved surfaces 03:15.400 --> 03:16.760 and roadways. 03:16.760 --> 03:19.960 The original design of these machines, in fact, that's what the man, you know, you'll 03:19.960 --> 03:24.080 see manufacturers' recommendations is that they are only operated off the road. 03:24.080 --> 03:30.400 So I think folks need to remember that the Navier, softer tires on a lot of these machines, 03:30.400 --> 03:33.040 they tend to grip pavement really well. 03:33.040 --> 03:38.560 And if people drive them like they would drive their car going to work, it can cause 03:38.560 --> 03:39.560 some problems. 03:39.560 --> 03:43.400 And to tip easier, if people aren't slowing down into their curves and really anticipating 03:43.400 --> 03:44.400 their stops. 03:44.400 --> 03:48.360 So a number of the crashes we're seeing a little over half are occurring on roadway 03:48.360 --> 03:49.360 routes. 03:49.360 --> 03:57.040 So as to the operation of these vehicles, while under the influence of whatever it is, 03:57.040 --> 03:58.720 what are the penalties for that? 03:58.720 --> 04:02.800 I mean, you can write citations for that, but what are the penalties that someone would 04:02.800 --> 04:04.200 face for that? 04:04.200 --> 04:05.200 Yeah. 04:05.200 --> 04:09.280 Ultimately, it would be a citation or a couple citations. 04:09.280 --> 04:13.520 Typically, you know, a citation is issued for the operating while intoxicated. 04:13.520 --> 04:18.440 If they're operating over that .08 level, they would be issued an additional citation 04:18.440 --> 04:19.800 for that. 04:19.800 --> 04:24.480 And then sometimes they're issued to other citations for other violations that may have 04:24.480 --> 04:30.520 occurred because they were intoxicated and not really thinking clearly and violating 04:30.520 --> 04:32.080 some other safety issues. 04:32.080 --> 04:38.400 So yeah, so a number of citations can be issued, but typically, you know, most of what 04:38.400 --> 04:40.000 we're running into is a first offense. 04:40.000 --> 04:44.440 And in Wisconsin, like any OWI, a first offense is just a civil forfeiture. 04:44.440 --> 04:46.320 It's really just a fine. 04:46.320 --> 04:53.800 There's typically no jail time or extra fines associated with that unless there is something 04:53.800 --> 04:57.640 more major, like somebody dies in the crash or something like that happens. 04:57.640 --> 05:03.800 And so people could be right back out there on those vehicles after that kind of a citation. 05:03.800 --> 05:09.440 Now, I took a look at your annual report, and it says that 95% of fatal accidents are 05:09.440 --> 05:13.160 among operators who have not taken a safety course. 05:13.160 --> 05:18.320 But those are that course is only required for people born after 1988. 05:18.320 --> 05:19.320 Why is that? 05:19.320 --> 05:22.120 Yeah, you're spot on. 05:22.120 --> 05:27.440 Well, back when the law was created, they decided to, my understanding is that they 05:27.440 --> 05:29.400 decided to set a date. 05:29.400 --> 05:33.880 They had to set a timeframe where they wanted everybody born on or after that date to complete 05:33.880 --> 05:34.880 the course. 05:34.880 --> 05:37.360 Like you said, it's one, one of 88. 05:37.360 --> 05:42.760 And so the idea behind that then was that folks born before that are essentially grandfathered 05:42.760 --> 05:44.920 in their older age. 05:44.920 --> 05:49.680 But what we are seeing, like you said, 95% having completed a safety course, but also 05:49.680 --> 05:56.000 the majority of our crashes are happening with folks that are older and grandfathered in. 05:56.000 --> 05:59.960 So folks that were born before that one one of 88 date. 05:59.960 --> 06:03.480 And so I think it really points to the fact that you're never really too old to learn 06:03.480 --> 06:07.880 safety and you're never too old to know the rules and regulations. 06:07.880 --> 06:12.120 And we just want folks to remember that the majority, the vast majority of our regulations 06:12.120 --> 06:16.560 are there for your safety and for you to continue to enjoyment of that sport. 06:16.560 --> 06:17.560 All right. 06:17.560 --> 06:19.000 Well, we appreciate it. 06:19.000 --> 06:23.840 Thanks very much for joining us from Eau Claire J. Coleskaw. 06:23.840 --> 06:24.840 Thank you. 06:25.840 --> 06:32.120 I didn't, I didn't get in, I wanted to ask you about helmet use. 06:32.120 --> 06:36.040 Now those are not even mandated, right? 06:36.040 --> 06:42.160 The only time they're mandated would be for people under 18. 06:42.160 --> 06:48.960 So, and even then there are some exemptions, but for 99% of the time, folks that are under 06:48.960 --> 06:54.120 18 are going to have to wear a helmet when they're on a public or over trail or somebody 06:54.120 --> 06:55.360 else's private property. 06:55.360 --> 06:59.600 Now, if they're on like their own immediate family's property or they're actively engaged 06:59.600 --> 07:03.200 in hunting or fishing, then there's an exemption for helmets. 07:03.200 --> 07:08.600 But again, the majority of crashes that we're seeing are with adults and the majority of 07:08.600 --> 07:12.880 those adults are not wearing helmets, whether it's on an eight year UTV. 07:12.880 --> 07:15.360 And then in the case of UTVs, they're not wearing seatbelts. 07:15.360 --> 07:20.760 So those are additionally big reasons why people are getting hurt and killed. 07:20.760 --> 07:21.760 Yeah. 07:21.760 --> 07:22.760 Okay. 07:22.760 --> 07:23.760 Well, thank you. 07:23.760 --> 07:24.760 It is also dangerous. 07:24.760 --> 07:25.760 Yeah. 07:25.760 --> 07:26.760 It is. 07:26.760 --> 07:27.760 You got it. 07:27.760 --> 07:29.560 It's fun, but it's more fun when you do it safely. 07:29.560 --> 07:30.560 Indeed. 07:30.560 --> 07:31.560 All right. 07:31.560 --> 07:32.560 Thank you so much. 07:32.560 --> 07:33.560 Have a good weekend. 07:33.560 --> 07:34.560 Yep. 07:34.560 --> 07:35.560 You as well. 07:35.560 --> 07:35.580 Thank you.