FARM quad bikes are firmly in the headlights as National Farm Safety Week focuses on the risks and common misconceptions about their safety.
It comes after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission proposed major changes to boost the safety of quad bikes, including introducing a safety rating system, crush protection devices and mandatory minimum performance standards.
Farmsafe Australia chairman Charles Armstrong welcomed the proposed measures.
“Quads have an illusion of stability and people often think four wheels are safer than two,” he said.
“This is simply not the case. In many cases a small ute, side-by-side vehicle or two-wheel motorbike will be a better alternative and while these carry their own risks, we know they are lower than that of quads. Many farmers have moved away from using quads at all because the risk of rollover is too high.”
AgHealth farm safety project officer Kerri-Lynn Peachey said Scenic Rim residents should be aware of the risks.
“There have been seven serious incidents in the Scenic Rim in the past two years,” she said.
Victoria and NSW offer rebates on quad bike safety devices and AgForce called on the Queensland government to start a similar program to help save lives and prevent accidents on farms.
AgForce general president Grant Maudsley said the Victorian government had allocated $6 million to its quad bike safety rebate scheme, and AgForce would like to see the Queensland government make a similar investment.
“Quad bikes are the biggest cause of death on Australian farms with more than half of those due to the bikes rolling over and crushing or asphyxiating the rider,” he said.
“Over the past 15 years, 69 people have been killed in quad bike accidents in Queensland – almost a third of the national total – and many more have been injured.”