Superior could mandate ATV insurance coverage

Jan. 19--Traveling anywhere in the City of Superior on an all-terrain and utility-task vehicle could come with a new requirement: liability insurance.

Superior's Public Safety Committee approved changing the city ordinance governing Parks and Recreation to establish the requirement.

Councilor Craig Sutherland, who introduced the change, said the policy applies to anyone using ATVs, UTVs or four-wheelers anywhere in the city.

Douglas County adopted a similar provision last month when it approved opening most county highways to ATV and UTV users. The difference is the liability insurance would only be required of riders operating on county highways when the ordinance goes into effect May 22.

Superior's requirement would include road routes on city streets and trails, Sutherland said.

Councilor Tylor Elm questioned whether the proposal would be sufficient to cover the potential liability of an operator at fault in an accident. If something happens, we want to make sure people are compensated for it, Elm said.

"This is better than having no insurance, absolutely," he said.

Wisconsin establishes minimum liability insurance coverage at $25,000 per person for bodily injury or death, with a $50,000 maximum per accident, and $10,000 for property damage.

Those are the lowest liability limits agents can sell in Wisconsin, according to Nick Korhonen, a Superior agent for American Family Insurance.

Fire Chief Scott Gordon questioned whether a personal liability umbrella policy could be used in lieu of a liability policy on the ATV. He said he used his personal liability umbrella policy for a UTV rental after the rental agent said his policy would suffice.

Korhonen said the umbrella liability policies only cover liabilities that exceed existing coverage and the ATV policy would have to provide underlying coverage first.

The ordinance establishing the liability insurance requirement would have to be approved by the Council when it meets Tuesday, Feb. 4.

"I think the city is very smart to adopt mandatory insurance to ride in the city limits," Korhonen said. "I think also the Council would be surprised at the amount of ATV/UTV riders that already carry insurance."

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