Utility task vehicle crashes and injuries in Iowa

Utility task vehicles (UTVs) are increasing in popularity and have outsold all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in recent years. However, there are few publications related to UTV crashes and injuries. Our objective was to describe UTV crash and injury epidemiology in the state of Iowa.

A comprehensive database of off-highway vehicle events from the Iowa Department of Transportation, State Trauma Registry and Department of Natural Resources, as well as from newspaper articles was created and used to evaluate Iowa UTV crashes and injuries from 2002 to 2019. Frequencies and contingency table analysis was performed with IBM SPSS Statistics (Version 27).

UTV crashes involving 448 injured individuals of all ages were identified with increasing numbers over time. Children < 16 years were 31% and those 16-17 years were 8.3%. Among all victims, 69% were male and one-third were passengers. Only 10% and 32% were wearing helmets and seatbelts, respectively. Of those tested, 13% were positive for alcohol. One-fifth involved a collision with another motor vehicle, 11% were collisions with an object, and most (70%) were non-collision events (e.g., rollovers). In nearly two-thirds of cases, the victim was ejected. In a quarter, the person was hit/pinned by the vehicle. Of those with known location, 61% occurred on public roadways. In 6% of cases, the individual died. Children < 16 years had higher proportions than those older of being a passenger (52% vs. 24%, p < 0.001), having been in a non-collision event (77% vs. 66%, p = 0.035), and of being hit/pinned by the vehicle (41% vs. 19%, p < 0.001). Passengers had lower proportions that were wearing seatbelts (23% vs. 36%, p = 0.029) and higher proportions involved in non-collision events (90% vs. 59%, p < 0.001). Higher proportions in off-road crashes (55% vs. 9%, p < 0.001) and in non-collision events (33% vs. 8%, p < 0.001) were hit/pinned by the vehicle. Roadway crashes and ejected victims both had greater percentages with abnormal Glasgow Coma Scale (head injury) scores and intensive care unit admission.

UTV crashes and injuries are increasing in frequency and often associated with severe injuries. Driving on public roads and being ejected were both associated with more severe outcomes/injuries.