When north eastern Victorian cattle farmer Scott McKay came a cropper from his quad bike, it was a combination of good luck and good management that saw him miss becoming a statistic on what is one of farming’s most dangerous tools.
The accident happened on a flat section of road when a calf blocked his path, causing him to grab the brake but roll the bike.
He believes a crush protection device prevented the quad bike from rolling onto him and potentially causing serious damage.
That risk was evident when two men couldn't right the rolled bike.
“The accident was slow motion and I didn’t hurt myself and there was no damage to the bike, but it was 20 minutes before someone came along.
“If you had that lying on your chest I don't know whether you'd still be breathing,” he said.
He is confident the Lifeguard crush protection device stopped the bike rolling further.
“When I landed and saw the bike coming toward me I had the feeling it was coming and it just rolled back the other way.
“After the event two of us couldn't roll the bike back onto its wheels.
“There was just a slight camber on the road and there was no way we could get it back over - we had to pull it over with another bike.”
The Lifeguard’s were fitted to the farm’s two 500cc quads 12 months before the accident.
“It’s about looking after your people and looking after yourself,” Mr McKay said.
He says the argument about fitting crush protection to quads is analogous to the tractor Roll Over Protection Systems argument decades ago.
“It's the same sort of argument with people saying the same sorts of things.
“Now you wouldn't hop on a tractor if it didn't have a ROPS.”
He recognises the resistance some farmers have to the systems.
“This is a non-argument,” he said.
“We had the bikes for a year before we put them on and now the guys that work for us just feel so much more comfortable and secure.
“I don’t know what the percentage chance of getting hurt on them is now compared to before, is but it would be multiples in our favour.”
The FCAI continues its campaign against fitment of CPDs to quad bikes arguing they are “ineffectual overall” or actually contribute to the severity of injuries during an accident.
They also say “ATV manufacturers believe that no single measure can protect ATV rider safety and that a combination of measures is required.”
Earlier this year Victoria’s Work Safe mandated the use of CPDs on quads which will have ramifications for employers if an employee is injured on a quad.
Safe Work NSW indicated it did not expect to follow Victoria’s lead but was awaiting the outcome of an inquest into quad accidents that is due in coming weeks.
