FARM safety experts have called for an immediate import ban on so-called "junior" quad-bikes.
Speakers at a farm safety conference in Melbourne last week said the bikes were readily available from $300 to $530, yet 35 children had been killed while riding them since 2001.
Associate Professor Tony Lower from the Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and Safety said an import ban needed to be coupled with stopping children aged 16 or under using quad-bikes.
"I am saying, first of all, ban the importation of them so we don't have any more vehicles potentially in operation," Mr Lower said.
"It's very difficult to stop kids using quad-bikes but what a ban does do is send a very clear recommendation for kids not to use them."
He also advocated a "buy-back" scheme for the existing fleet of children's quad-bikes, started and funded by the industry.
The Farm Safety and Trauma Forum was held at the Royal Children's Hospital last week.
Associate Professor Lower said it was hard to get a true picture of "pocket" quad-bike sales but these vehicles were easy to buy.
Medical authorities in Canada had found children aged 16 years or under didn't have the strength or cognitive capacity to ride quad-bikes, Assoc Prof Lower said.
"When they land on top of you, they stay on top of you," he said.
Of the 192 fatalities which occurred between 2001 and July 2014, 35 victims were children under 16 years of age.
Deaths occurred on farms in 83 per cent of all recorded cases.
The bikes have motors of 49-110cc and are sold as farm ATV quad-bikes or "pocket dirt bikes".
A spokesman for Motoworks, Campbellfield, which sells the bikes, confirmed they were all imported.
Honda sells the smaller quad-bikes but a spokeswoman, Nadiene Stewart, said the matter was an industry issue and comment should come from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.
Chamber chief executive Tony Weber said all ATV users were encouraged to follow known safety practices when riding the machines.
"This includes wearing a helmet and protective equipment, riding the correct-sized ATV, not carrying more than the approved number of passengers and not using an ATV on terrain or in applications for which it is not suited," Mr Weber said.
The chamber also stressed children under the age of 16 must ride only specifically-designed and labelled, age-appropriate ATVs and never be allowed on adult-sized machines.
"Parents should always supervise young riders and ensure they only ride in areas suitable to their vehicle and skills," Mr Weber said.
"Before using an ATV, parents and children should take time to understand the vehicle by reading the safety manual and watching the safety video provided with the ATV, and they should also undertake training."
Assoc Prof Lower said there were no excuses for allowing children to ride or be passengers on adult quad-bikes.
"The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries continues to stymie safety improvements on adult machines to deter children, such as child-resistant start mechanisms, and diverts all responsibility for a faulty product to owners," he said.
Rural Doctors of Australia spokesman Dr Malcolm Anderson told the forum he agreed with the proposed ban.
"The thing people don't appreciate is the instability of the quad-bike – it has a high centre of gravity, narrow wheel tracks and a short wheel-base which make it a top-heavy vehicle which is prone to flip," Dr Anderson said.
"People are often taken by surprise. They don't realise they are getting to a stage where they are getting close to the limits or they drop a wheel in a hole or hit a rock."
Mr Anderson said removing children's quad-bikes from the market was an essential step, as was delivering education and awareness that young people shouldn't be on adult-sized machines.
He said the bikes were readily available online, often with minimal specifications for age limits.
"You can buy them online and away you go," Dr Anderson said.
"It is easy for owners with little or no experience to purchase any type of machine, large or small, with the intention to 'buy it for the kids for them to have a bit of fun – they love it'."
Dr Anderson said as legislation was fraught with difficulty and obstruction, the best way to tackle the issue was through education and public awareness.
"GPs have a unique opportunity to introduce the issues of quad-bike safety during discussions on preventative health," he said.
There should also be an immediate introduction of child-proof ignition locks, keeping keys secure and the compulsory fitting of crush-protection devices.
