Letter to the Editor: In favor of ATV/UTV trails, but not on roads

To the Editor, Citizens of Allamakee County, and the Board of Supervisors:
Allamakee County is a wonderful place with ample resources for our agricultural and tourism/recreation industries and we are all very blessed to live in such a place. It seems to me, however, that there has become an “Us vs. Them” mentality between these two vital groups. The past, present and future of Allamakee County economically is both agriculture and tourism/recreation, and not just one or the other.
That being said, I believe we need to work together as a community of concerned citizens to make both of these industries succeed. We need to be a “both/and” people and not an “either/or” community where we come to resent, torpedo or undermine the futures of our community. We can disagree, we can debate, but we must not come to hate or belittle those we do not agree with.
That statement leads me to the intent of my letter. I read with great interest the discussion held by our Board of Supervisors and those involved with creating a trail system for ATVs/UTVs. I very much admire the idea to create an ATV/UTV trail system within our county. I have seen firsthand the benefits of such a trail in other areas of the upper Midwest, but my concern lies with usage of such devices on county roads.
No, it doesn’t lie in a debate over farm vehicles being used for recreation. No, it doesn’t involve a dispute with other road users getting stuck behind slower moving vehicles. But, it involves the health and well-being of the users of ATVs/UTVs and the other drivers that share the road.
A study performed by the University of Iowa and published in 2013 showed the increased danger and injury that occurs when ATVs/UTVs were allowed on the roads. I quote: “Compared to those off-road, on-road crash victims were approximately 10 times more likely to be involved in a vehicle-vehicle collision, three times more likely to have a severe brain injury, and twice as likely to have suffered major trauma. More than one in three on-road crashes involved a collision with another vehicle, suggesting that ATVs on the road represent a potential traffic safety concern.”
The evidence is clear and, as a physician, my concern is for the health and safety of all. Nobody disputes the evidence of smoking as being bad for us and we have laws surrounding that for our protection. We have laws for seatbelt use for our own safety. Why should we knowingly, willingly, and purposely put people at an increased risk of death, brain injury, and major trauma?
The study goes on to conclude that: “overall, our data reinforce the importance of laws restricting ATV road use and the need for effective enforcement, as well as the need to increase user education about ATV road-use laws and the dangers of riding on the roads.”
Let us be wise, let us use data to drive our decisions, let us compromise, and let us put the safety of our citizens first!
Trails…yes!  Road trails…no!
Trails, recreation, tourism, and the beauty of our county are all resources we need to develop and use, but let us not stain them with tragedy, injury, and the loss of life.

Dr. Steve Perkins
Waukon