On Wednesday, two teens lost control of their ATVs in Lewiston after cresting a hill, seriously injuring each of their passengers.

The same day, two teens were hurt when their ATV launched 40 feet in the air in a New Gloucester gravel pit.

In the first case, the teens had the owner’s permission to ride on his land and were familiar with the territory.

In the second, the ATV was estimated to be traveling 50 mph and the girls did not have the owner’s permission to ride there.

All were wearing helmets but, of the group, only one teen was old enough to be operating an ATV on someone else’s property.

All-terrain vehicles are perfectly suited to Maine’s landscape. They can haul loads and traverse land other vehicles cannot. Whether used as workhorses or recreational vehicles, ATVs are inherently dangerous.

They are are fast-moving, climbing machines that are likely to flip without providing sidewall protection to users.

Between 1993 and 2002, the last years for which statistics are available, 1,994 people were hurt in Maine ATV wrecks. Of those, 32 died.

Nearly half of those injured or dead were younger than 20 years and, by a huge margin, most were men.

Since 1998, according to state records, only 27 accidents were reported on marked trails. The rest – 1,176 – were reported off-trail.

These numbers should give ATV operators pause.

What they indicate is that it is much more likely you will be involved in a wreck in a remote location than along a trail where emergency vehicles can reach you, delaying rescue by incalculable time.

The teens hurt in Wednesday’s incidents were wearing helmets and were riding along accessible trails, but that is not the norm in Maine. The norm is that wrecks happen in remote locations and help is far away.

We’re likely to see more wrecks as the summer progresses, but maintaining a clear head under those helmets will help reduce injuries.