Coroner slams government’s lack of action on ATV restrictions in report on teen’s quad bike death

A report into the death of a 16-year-old apprentice in the state’s North-West has reignited calls for greater restrictions on certain types of ATVs. Here’s what the coroner found >>

Coroners findings into quad bike death.

A Tasmanian coroner has again called for the government to prohibit passengers from certain all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), following a report into the death of 16-year-old apprentice mechanic who crashed his quad bike into a creek near Wynyard in 2022.

The minor, who Coroner Simon Cooper referred to as BP, was riding his Polaris 300 ATV with a group of motorcyclist friends at a location known as the skid pan at Olinda on the afternoon of 5 November 2022 when the tragedy occurred.

Coroner Cooper said BP – who was carrying a pillion passenger against the vehicle’s explicit operating instructions – had been leading the convoy along a gravel road when the group approached a bridge overrunning a creek.

The court found that the bridge, which was situated 2m above the level of the creek, did not have a guard rail, and nor did the road have signs warning of the left-hand approach to the bridge.

“The ATV left Tram Road where it entered the bridge and crashed into the creek below,” Coroner Cooper said.

“The ATV was on its wheels in the creek. BP and OL were both on the bank. OL had little memory of what occurred.

“BP was semi-conscious and unable to stand.

“An ambulance met the party at 3.39pm. BP was agitated, confused, pale and sweaty. He had obvious and serious blunt force traumatic injuries to his chest and abdomen.

“He was stabilised at the scene before being transported by ambulance to the North West Regional Hospital (NWRH), where he arrived at 4.40pm.

“Upon arrival at the NWRH, BP was breathing spontaneously but remained confused.”

After BP’s blood pressure dropped, he was urgently transferred to theatre where the surgical team was initially unable to locate the source of his internal bleeding.

After a tear was located along the length of BP’s portal vein extending into his liver, the patient was moved to the hospital’s intensive care unit.

“But his blood pressure remained catastrophically low, his heart entered cardiac arrest rhythm and he died as a result,” Coroner Cooper said.

“His body was formally identified at the NWRH before being taken to the mortuary at the Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH).

“At the RHH, highly experienced forensic pathologist Dr Christopher Lawrence performed an autopsy. He provided a report following the autopsy in which he expressed the opinion, which I accept, that BP died as a result of the transection of his liver and a laceration of his inferior vena cava.”

Autopsy reports did not reveal the presence of any illicit drugs or alcohol in BP’s system, crash investigators found nothing about the road’s construction or surface which contributed to the crash, and the ATV was free of any mechanical defects.

Coroner Cooper said the evidence satisfied him that BP had entered the left-hand corner too fast, resulting in the ATV understeering towards the outside of the bend, and launching off the edge of the bridge into a creek.

“At the time of the crash, BP was carrying a pillion,” Mr Cooper said.

“The ATV was not designed for two people and the presence of the pillion passenger undoubtedly affected the handling of it and was, in my assessment, a major contributing factor to the crash.

“In 2017, I had occasion to make a number of recommendations following an inquest in relation to seven ATV related deaths.

“Amongst other things I recommended that consideration given by the Law Reform Institute and the Attorney-General to the introduction of legislation requiring mandatory training and licensing of all persons using quad bikes, and consideration be given by the Law Reform Institute and the Attorney-General to the introduction of legislation prohibiting the carrying of passengers on type I quad bikes (and any more than one passenger on type II quad bikes).

“The circumstances of BP’s death require me to repeat the above recommendations … noting that so far as I am aware no action has been taken in relation to either or both of the recommendations made four years ago and noting also that since I made those recommendations there have been several ATV-related deaths.”

Coroner Cooper conveyed his sincere condolences to BP’s family and loved ones.

A spokesperson for the Tasmanian Government said it had significantly increased quad bike safety in Tasmania, through the provision of training and information resources, and through a public awareness campaign.

“The Government will consider the Coroner’s report and recommendations,” the spokesperson said.

Originally published as Coroner slams government’s lack of action on ATV restrictions in report on teen’s quad bike death