Quad bikes – Reducing the risks

What it contains

Every year, many people are seriously injured or killed in quad bike accidents. Whether you are an employer or self-employed, if you use quad bikes on your farm, you have legal responsibilities for the safety of the people using them. These include removing or reducing the most common risks for serious injury or death: the risk of rollover, and the risk of someone being thrown from a quad bike. This document tells you:

• why quad bike users are at increased risk of an accident
• how different factors affect quad bike safety
• the types of injuries likely from a quad bike accident
• legal responsibilities for quad bike users on your farm
• safer alternatives to quad bikes
• how to protect quad bike users
• how to safely tow or carry loads (including liquids)
• responsible use of a quad bike
• how to keep your quad bike in a safe mechanical condition
• how to make sure quad bike users can reach help if there is an accident

There is a table you can use to check which farm activities carry the most risk when using a quad bike. At the end of the document, there is a list of resources on farm hazards and coronial findings on quad bike deaths.