Spinal injuries, knocked out teeth, multiple fractures, facial cuts, internal bleeding, burns and head injuries that can be life-altering. Unfortunately, these are the types of injuries seen by emergency departments, where quad bikes are involved. They mean months in a spinal brace, plastic surgery or thousands of dollars worth of dental work, not to mention the amount of follow-up appointments – all from being in a quad bike accident.
Consumer Protection’s Product Safety team have analysed over 12-months’ worth of Emergency Department data relating to quad bike accidents and what they discovered was shocking.
Of the kids who’d been in a quad bike incident, three out of five were admitted to hospital. What’s even more concerning is less than a third of kids presenting to ED after a quad crash were confirmed to have been wearing a helmet.
Quad bikes are not children’s toys. Never let kids ride quads made for adults, even as passengers. Kids lack the size, and physical or cognitive ability to safely operate them.
Despite being marketed as “all-terrain vehicles”, quad bikes cannot safely go anywhere and everywhere. Steep slopes or rough terrain increases the risk of a roll over. Even at slower speeds, these bikes can topple over and crush the rider with the hundreds of kilos that these machines weigh.
General-use adult quad bikes must have an Operator Protection Device (OPD) fitted or part of its design so if it rolls over, it’s held off the ground to provide a crawl out space for the rider. If you own an older quad bike, consider retrofitting an OPD.
All quad bikes must be tested for stability and come with a tag that allows you to compare the safety of models. The higher the angle, the more stable the quad bike is. New quad bikes and imported second-hand quad bikes must have a rollover warning label stuck in a visible place as a constant reminder of this risk when riding.
Consumer Protection urges quad bike riders and passengers to “Prepare Safe, Wear Safe, Ride Safe.”
Prepare Safe by ensuring you are trained to ride a quad bike, check the quad has been maintained and is in safe condition. It’s also a good idea to tell someone where you plan to go and when you expect to return. When you purchase a new quad bike, use the mandatory hang tag to compare the stability of different models.
Wear Safe with a helmet that meets Australian Safety Standards. Put on protective clothing and gear such as goggles, long sleeves and pants, boots and gloves.
Ride Safe by ensuring children are supervised near quad bike activity and never let them ride quads meant for adults… even as passengers. Never ride under the influence of drugs/alcohol and don’t carry passengers on quads meant for one person. Try to ride on familiar tracks and always carry a mobile phone or two-way so you can call for help in an emergency.
If you Prepare Safe, Wear Safe, Ride Safe when using quad bikes, it will help you and your loved ones, friends and work colleagues reduce the risk of injury or death.
The Product Safety Australia website has a range of great ways to increase safety on quad bikes.
