THE Quad Bike Performance Project is nearing completion and a national star rating system for quad bikes is planned for release in the New Year.
That's what Australian and New Zealand delegates were told at the 10th annual Australian Farm Health & Safety Conference in Launceston, Tas, last week.
"The results of this project will enable the development of a quad-bike safety rating system for stability, handling and crash worthiness," said University of NSW Professor of Road Safety, Raphael Grzebieta, in his presentation.
"Such a rating system would potentially lead to major improvements in vehicle design and safety, and a likely consequent reduction in the number of on-farm fatalities and injuries."
Prof Grzebieta said the report would result in a star rating, similar to the Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), already in use for motor vehicles.
"Like stars on cars and stars on fridges, there'll be stars on quads," he said.
The best performing vehicles would be used as a benchmark.
"It is a complex body of work, with a huge amount of tests and analysis," Prof Grzebieta said.
More than 1000 tests were carried out on 16 vehicles, including five side-by-sides, and a prototype.
Three different types of operator protection devices (ROPs) such as rollbars, were also tested.
"Of the workplace fatalities, 75 per cent are 50 or older – this is a significant focus area we need to work on," he said.
Behavioural science manager at New Zealand's Opus Research Jared Thomas said the effect of ROP devices had been analysed in the Wellington area.
Farmers who had experienced a roll-over were more likely to fit a ROP, he said.
Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and safety director, Associate Prof Tony Lower, took issue with the industry's emphasis on active riding, as a way of fighting the fitting of ROPs.
"Active riding is about moving your bodyweight to assist you with maintaining the stability of quads," he said.
It was time to introduce a lateral stability standard, which was opposed by the industry, he said.
"The industry has, and continues to use, active riding as a pretext not to impose a lateral stability standard."
The data on the impact of active riding was weak and Assoc Prof Lower said there was no reason not to introduce a standard.
