Police stress safety on trails after another fatal ATV crash in northern Ont.

Police stress safety on northern ATV trails After another fatal ATV crash, this time in Powassan, police are urging riders to take every precaution before going out in the trails.

Following another fatal all-terrain vehicle crash, this time in Powassan, Ontario Provincial Police are calling on ATV drivers to take every safety precaution they can before going out in the trails.

“Some people think that, you know, I’m only going for a short ride. I don't need to do all these things,” said OPP Const. Michelle Simard.

“It's good to have a good routine when you head out on the trails.”

A 27-year-old resident of Powassan was killed late Saturday afternoon.

Emergency responders arrived at the scene of the ATV-involved collision on Genesee Lake Road, shortly before 5 p.m. on July 13.

The driver was pronounced dead at the hospital.

OPP patrol more than 130,000 kilometres of roadway and trails in Ontario. Along with bringing safety equipment, tools, a charged cellphone, a map, a flashlight, food and water and a first-aid kit, officers want riders to tell a loved one where they’re going should an emergency occur.

“We see a lot of people on the trails. We just want them to be safe,” Simard said.

Long-time ATV rider Rick Pentiluk said it frustrates him when he sees riders without helmets, revving their engines up to top speed in the trails. He knows that combination can be a recipe for disaster.

“Have the experience on the machine you're riding on and go out there to enjoy the scenery, rather than just putting the pedal to the metal and blasting down the trails,” Pentiluk said.

“Every year, I bring my bike into a qualified mechanic and have them go over the bike to make sure everything is good -- to make sure the bearings are good, the brakes are good.”

Since April of this year, five people have died in ATV-related collisions, including a 62-year-old from London, Ont., last weekend.

'It is very tragic'

Ten people, including four children, were killed in ATV crashes in northern Ontario in a span of three months last year.

“It is very tragic. It's not nice when you lose a family member, especially when you're in a sport doing something that is supposed to be so much fun,” Pentiluk said.

“Nobody ever wants to hear that somebody has died enjoying a summer sport.”

Police say the leading factors in ATV crashes are speed, alcohol or drugs and riders choosing not to wear helmets.

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These are all preventable actions.

“We have a beautiful country here in Ontario and beautiful trails to enjoy. We would like everybody to do it safely,” Simard said.

She added police officers are still out patrolling the trails looking for speeders.

Simard warned that an officer may stop a rider asking for proof of documentation, license and insurance, all things required for driving an ATV.