Quad bike safety
Last year saw a major shift in the supply of ATVs or quad bikes in the Australian market, with the Consumer Goods (Quad Bikes) Safety Standard 2019 coming into effect on 11 October 2021.
Safety helmets are of limited use in keeping farm quad riders safe, says McIntyre. “My analogy is that a helmet is the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff – really only helping to prevent head injuries – whereas dual wheels stop you from going over the cliff.
“I get frustrated seeing news media asking for ways to make quads safer when there is something that does.
“My father and I farm on a sheep and beef farm on hill country in northern Hawke’s Bay and we have duals on both our quads. We feel almost naked when we go around the farm without them fitted.
“Dual wheels [cost more] but that is nothing compared to the cost of losing a life or getting a broken back. We had the Department of Labour up for a visit and the inspector was very impressed.”
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