Rural iowa adolescents’ use, knowledge and attitudes regarding UTVs on public roads

Background Manufacturers specify that utility task vehicles (UTVs) are designed exclusively for off-road operation and are unsuitable for public roadways. Despite this, a growing number of U.S. legislative bodies are enacting laws permitting or expanding UTV access to public roads, creating a significant misalignment between vehicle design intent and actual use environments. Our study objective was to examine rural adolescents’ use, knowledge and attitudes regarding UTVs on public roads. Methods Iowa FFA (formerly Future Farmers of America) Leadership Conference attendees were anonymously surveyed from April 15–16, 2024. They were questioned about their UTV use and attitudes regarding UTVs on public roadways, both paved and unpaved. Descriptive, bivariate and logistic regression analyses were performed using Stata 15.1. Results 1,029 FFA members (13–18 yrs) participated; 50% from farms, 20% from the country/not farms, and 30% from towns. 53% of respondents’ families owned UTVs and 69% of respondents had driven/ridden one. Among UTV drivers/riders, 94% had been on unpaved roads (51% at least weekly) and 87% had been on paved roads (41% at least weekly). Overall, 64% and 63% stated it was safe to drive UTVs on unpaved and paved public roads, respectively. 63% stated UTVs were designed for unpaved roads and 54% stated UTVs were designed for paved roads. Over half agreed that manufacturers state UTVs are safe for unpaved (54%) and paved (52%) roads. Generally, males, older teens, UTV owners, UTV riders, those who had ridden on public roads and more frequent riders all had greater proportions holding these misconceptions. The vast majority of respondents (82%) incorrectly believed youth < 18 years old could legally drive UTVs on Iowa’s county roads. Conclusions Most study participants reported UTV operation on public roads and perceived the practice as safe on both paved and unpaved roadway surfaces. They also believed the misconceptions that UTVs are designed for roadways and that manufacturers state UTVs are safe on public roads. The powersports industry should do more to publicize the hazards of off-road vehicles on public roads. Targeted education and evidence-based legislation with enforcement prohibiting on-road operation may be critical in decreasing UTV-related deaths and injuries.