Sales of ATVs and ATV trail passes have soared during pandemic
Peterborough County has been one of the worst regions in the province for ATV fatalities recently, according to the OPP.
In the last decade there have been eight fatalities in the county and six of those have occurred since Jan. 1, 2017, said Const. Joe Ayotte.
Since 2017, there have also been 32 injuries, 38 collisions and 10 alcohol-related collisions, in connection with ATVs, Ayotte said.
Although the OPP can’t predict whether there will be an increase in these statistics due potential increased ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic, Ayotte said there is talk of county roads being opened up to ATV riders.
“But it all depends on the municipality; there just isn’t one blanket law for Peterborough County. Every township is different,” he said.
The only township in the county currently allowing full ATV road access is HavelockBelmont-Methuen.
“Although we’re called Peterborough County ATV Club, we really don’t have any trails in Peterborough County,” said Trevor Pewtner, vice-president of the Peterborough County Trails ATV Club.
Pewtner said he’s been selling more Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance (EOTA) passes this season, as opposed to previous years.
“I’ve sold 23 passes since last Wednesday,” he told The Examiner on Thursday. “Most of the passes I’ve sold this last week are to people who have bought new machines.”
Ryan Matthews, owner of Cycle Salvage located in Cavan Monaghan, said their ATV sales are up 75 per cent from prior years around this time period.
“We’re getting a lot of people right now buying for kids, like youth machines, or families that are actually home right and they want to get out as a family just to get out of the house,” Matthews said.
While the county’s ATV club doesn’t pay the OPP to monitor trails like Northumberland County, more charges have been laid against ATV riders lately compared to last year, Pewtner said.
“There’s more police presence and they are asking people to obey the law,” he said.
Pewtner said OPP have been asking riders to present their registration, insurance and trail passes.
Trail passes can be purchased from the club’s Facebook page or from the EOTA website.
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