STUNG by criticism of its continued opposition to crush protection devices (CPDs) has seen the quad-bike (ATV) industry give a nod of approval to the Queensland Government’s move to strengthen safety laws governing the use of these popular farm workhorses.
Just prior to Christmas the Bligh administration flagged it would assess whether helmets would need to become compulsory on farms, signalling it would also evaluate the role of CPDs, or roll-bars, on quad-bikes.
Commenting on the development, independent engineer John Lambert said: “Regardless of where you are based, the Queensland Code of Practice (COP) will become part of the body of knowledge as to risks - and the means of controlling those risks - so the Queensland COP is something all businesses using quad-bikes will have to factor in.”
In hindsight 2011 proved to be a horror year for the quad-bike industry with 23 deaths, thereby surpassing the previous highest toll which occurred in 2001. The contentious issue of quad-bike safety shows no sign of abating during the year ahead.
It is against this backdrop the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), which represents all major importers of quad-bikes, has issued a statement “welcoming” the review of Queensland’s quad-bike laws.
But while the FCAI says it has always supported any move to mandate wearing helmets on farms, also that children under 16 be prohibited from riding quad-bikes on properties, it looks to be maintaining its hard anti-CPD line in the light of the Queensland initiative.
The organisation says none of these devices have an applicable safety standard and they can cause more injuries than they prevent.
“We do not recommend the fitting of roll bars or crush protection devices to ATVs because of international research which found that all ROPs and CPDs examined at the time posed an unacceptably high risk of creating new injuries,” FCAI chief executive Ian Chalmers said.
“In addition, under some conditions of use or misuse, all ROPs and CPDs examined were found either to be ineffectual overall, or to increase the number and severity of injuries,” he added.
The FCAI also cautions against assuming that all quad-bikes are similar to tractors and that similar safety benefits can be gained from fitting rollover protection devices (ROPS) to quad-bikes.
Mr Chalmers went on to say that quad-bikes were designed as rider-active machines and, therefore, “quite different” from tractors with CPDs and ROPS performing differently on quad-bikes.
But John Lambert disagrees. He says roll frames and CPDs are devices to reduce trauma after a roll-over incident, underscoring the point that active riding techniques are only relevant prior to a quad-bike rolling over.
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