Call for children to be banned from using Quad Bikes
14/3/2017
The Australian Injury Prevention Network has ramped up calls for children to be banned from using Quad bikes after the death of a 6 year old girl in NSW. They went on to say that children lacked the “physical and cognitive capacity” to safely handle a quad bike.
The Australian Injury Prevention Network has ramped up calls for children to be banned from using Quad bikes after the death of a 6 yo girl in NSW. They went on to say that children lacked the “physical and cognitive capacity” to safely handle a quad bike.
Professor Tony Lower from the University of Sydney provided some damning facts in support of the proposed ban:
- 116 quad bike deaths since 2010
- 15 per cent of those being children under 16
- 23 per cent of all deaths attributed to quad bike use feature a crush injury or asphyxiation
As well as the regulations to prevent minors operating quad bikes of any specification the AIPN is advocating for mandatory rollover protection and helmet use.
The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons is also urging the NSW Government to ban the use of quad bikes by children. John Crozier added that since 2001 there had been 231 quad bike fatalities, of which 35 (15 per cent) were children aged 14 years and younger.
“These deaths can be prevented if restrictions are put in place that reflect the danger that these machines pose to young riders. In Massachusetts (in the US) for example, a ban on children under 14 years riding quad bikes nearly halted deaths, and halved the number of brain injuries in children.”
Quad bikes, despite having four wheels, have a high centre of gravity and a narrow wheelbase, which made them unstable.
“Most injuries and deaths involve the bike rolling on to the rider and this can occur at low speeds,” Dr Crozier said.
“Quad bikes are not toys, they leave very little room for rider error — a lack of skill, a lack of judgment, or even a lack of body mass and physical strength, can result in serious injury or even death.”
Victorian Farmers Federation announced it had handed out more than $1 million in safety rebates in a milestone for the Quad Bike Safety Rebate Scheme.
The $6 million State Government program aims to improve farm safety by offering a rebate to primary producers who fit rollover protection to their quad bikes. Farmers can used the Victorian Farmers Federation website to claim up to $1200 in rebates on operator protection devices, side-by-side and other vehicles.
