(NORTH BAY, ON) – The North Bay Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) has been called to three collisions involving off road vehicles in the past week.
On July 22, at approximately 3:15 p.m., a collision involving a three wheeler was reported to North Bay OPP. A 30 year old male from Edmonton, Alberta, was driving a three wheeler on Ellsmere Road, Tilden Lake, when he was thrown from it. He suffered serious injuries and was airlifted to hospital by Ornge air ambulance.
Technical Traffic Collision Investigators (TTCI) attended the scene to assist in the investigation which is ongoing.
On July 23, at approximately 3:00 p.m., members of the North Bay OPP received a report of a collision involving an off-road motocross motorcycle on a trail near Maple Road in Bonfield Township. The driver, a 24 year old male from Bonfield Township, sustained serious injuries and was transported to hospital by North Bay and District Ambulance Service.
On July 24, at approximately 1:00 p.m., a nine year old boy from Petawawa, Ontario, was operating an off road vehicle in Mattawa. The off road vehicle tipped onto its side when it was driven over a rock. The driver was wearing a helmet and seatbelt. He suffered no injuries, but was brought to hospital for precautionary measures.
The owner of the off road vehicle was charged with section 4(1) of the Off-Road Vehicles Act which states:
4. (1) No owner of an off-road vehicle shall permit a child under the age of twelve to drive the vehicle. R.S.O. 1990, c. O.4, s. 4 (1).
Exception
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply where the child is driving the vehicle,
(a) on land occupied by the vehicle owner; or
(b) under the close supervision of an adult. R.S.O. 1990, c. O.4, s. 4 (2)
The OPP would like to remind any person operating an off-road vehicle (ORV), all-terrain vehicle (ATV), side-by-side or utility terrain vehicle (UTV) along a highway that they need to be a licenced driver and must be able to produce the registration and insurance for the vehicle. Safety is of paramount importance, and the law requires you to wear an approved helmet and keep your headlamps on at all times.
Speed limits need to be observed: 50 km/hr on highways with a speed limit in excess of 50 km/hr and 20km/hr on highways with posted limits not greater than 50 km/hr.
Keep off the paved portion of the highway and be mindful of your impact on the immediate environment. You are responsible for any damage your machine might cause to the shoulders and ditches so go easy and remember you are representing a growing number of off-road enthusiasts.
The entire body of the Off-Road Vehicles Act regulation can be viewed and downloaded on the internet at www.ontario.ca/laws/regulation/030316.
