The debate over children riding adult sized quad bikes has again been sparked in the wake of a recent spate of all-terrain vehicle (ATV) related deaths in New South Wales this past month.
Four people have been killed in the past two months in NSW, marking the worst streak of ATV related deaths on record.
Of the four fatalities this year, one was a six-year-old child, and a 13-year-old has been left with head injuries.
Earlier this year a seven-year-old died while riding a quad bike on his family property with another child in NSW.
NSW and Victoria reported some of the largest quad bike related fatalities in the nation between 2011 and 2016.
Of the seven reported quad bike fatalities in 2017, five occurred in NSW, one in VIC and one in Queensland.
According to Consumer Affairs Victoria, 85 Victorians are hospitalized each year due to quad bike accidents, and a third of those are aged between 10 and 24.
The federal Model Work Health and Safety Act covers quad bike misuse in the workplace, however it is down to state government to adopt laws and change legislation in regards to private properties.
The Victorian government currently has a $600 rebate available to fit roll over protection for quad bikes, however there is no ban in place for children under the age of 16 riding quad bikes and no mandatory use of helmets as a safety requirement in VIC or NSW.
Workplace Safety Victoria said that children under the age of 16 should not be riding adult sized quad bikes, and that all riders must wear helmets.
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, the national representative of the ATV industry have been pushing for the state government to take action and place a ban on children riding adult quad bikes.
Mark Collins, ATV manager at the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, said the ban had been a long term priority of the industry.
“I’m talking 30 years that we have been bringing this up and trying to keep kids off the machines,” Mr Collins said.
“The industry has never been in favor of that, in fact all the warning labels on the ATV specify that no one under 16 should be riding it.”
Safety materials, training and owner manuals supplied by the ATV industry all dictate that adult quad bikes should not be ridden by a child.
However, the industry says it’s clear that mere ‘recommendation’ is not doing enough to prevent deaths.
“We would encourage the state government to legislate that children under 16 are banned from adult sized quad bikes,” Mr Collins said.
For more on this story grab a copy of today’s North West Farmer in the Guardian (April 12)
