PERHAPS the most telling comment on quad bikes – made at last week's Launceston Farm Health and Safety conference – was by a New Zealand researcher.
Opus Research Behavioural Science manager, Dr Jared Thomas, carried out in-depth studies into more than 70 quad injuries and near miss reports in the Wellington area.
Of those riders who had experienced an accident, most said they were then likely to fit their quad with some sort of roll-over, or crush protection device.
Quads are the leading cause of non-intentional farm related deaths in Australia.
Fatality figures, since 2001, are staggering; and researchers have poured many hours and dollars into finding out why.
Since 2001, there have been 197 quad bike deaths in Australia.
Nearly two-thirds occurred on farms with nearly 60 per cent of deaths occur from a secondary roll-over.
Safety academics and researchers are growing increasingly frustrated with what they say are the industry's constant denials of the inherent dangers of quad bikes.
The industry argues it's all about how quads are ridden.
Manufacturers argue "active riding" – or transferring body weight – is the safest way to operate a quad bike.
The conference was also told there was some movement, both in terms of manufacturers becoming more responsive to safety protection and a new safety rating system.
The star quad-bike safety system – similar to the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) program for vehicles – will rate quads on stability, handling, and crash-worthiness.
Authorities hope to introduce it in the New Year, using market forces to encourage manufacturers to introduce safety fittings. Sadly, more needs to be done.
Presenter after presenter commented how farmers and graziers saw quads as an essential tool, but there was confusion about safety messages.
Even with the introduction of a star system, who is to say the buyer will not go for the cheapest option, or be pressured to purchase a machine which is inherently unsafe?
And what of the quads which are already on-farm – how can owners be encouraged to wear protective safety gear and retro-fit machines with roll-over and crush protection?
The answer will not just be found in legislation.
It will be carried out in places like Tocal, NSW, and other agricultural colleges, where safety is drummed into students as part of farm culture.
Change can be a painful and slow process, but reducing on-farm deaths and accidents from quad bikes will involve market pressure and personal responsibility.
– ANDREW MILLER
