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(Iowa) -- UTV and ATV-related crashes and fatalities have been on the rise following a change in Iowa law.
“When the law changed for UTVs and ATVs, it essentially opened up the ability for those types of vehicles to travel on most roadways, except interstates,” said Larry Grant with the Iowa Department of Transportation. “The fatality rate went from four when the law changed in 2022, to 21 fatalities last year.”
The law, which went into effect in July 2022, expanded road access for utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), allowing them to operate on most public roads across the state, excluding interstates.
While the law expanded road access, many regulations are still in place including:
- Drivers must not exceed 35 miles per hour.
- They must take the most direct route.
- Operators must be at least 18 years old and possess a valid driver’s license.
- Vehicles must display a slow-moving vehicle sign.
So far in 2025, there have been nine fatalities involving UTVs and ATVs in Iowa. The most recent occurred on October 11, just after midnight, when 19-year-old Harlan Tomlinson III of Norwalk died after the UTV he was driving entered a ditch and rolled in Madison County.
Grant believes a major reason for the increase in crashes and fatalities is a lack of public awareness about the law change.
“All injury crashes are going up, everything is going up,” Grant said. “A key factor is that people are not aware the law changed. Well, it changed three years ago. This isn’t anything new, but you can see now the insane amount of crashes that are occurring.”
Despite the rise in UTV and ATV-related fatalities, the overall number of vehicle fatalities in Iowa is lower than usual for this time of year. As of 11 a.m. Monday, there have been 221 total vehicle fatalities in 2025, 57 fewer than at this time last year.