Quad bikes risky business for riders and manufacturers

WHEN the quad bike arrived on Australian farms in the late 1980s they were a revelation.

It has been established beyond doubt that riding a quad bike carries a degree of risk.

WHEN the quad bike arrived on Australian farms in the late 1980s they were a revelation.

These relatively cheap workhorses were more agile than a ute, could carry gear and were more stable than a two-wheeled motorbike and, after a brief flirtation with three-wheel motorbikes — possibly the most dangerous things ever invented — they were much safer.

Or so we thought.

According to Safework Australia, in the past eight years, 128 people died in quad bike fatalities nationally. More than half (77 fatalities) were the result of a rollover and 78 occurred on a farm or property.

It has been established beyond doubt that riding a quad bike carries a degree of risk. But how much of a risk is disputed by at least two major ATV manufacturers — Honda and Yamaha.

In the past week both have threatened to withdraw from the Australian market if a recent Australian Competition and Consumer Commission decree that quad bikes must be fitted with operator protection device becomes law.

Both manufacturers say research around crush protection is inconclusive, even citing contrary research that crush protection devices could harm riders in an accident.

Another major company, Polaris, has accused its rivals of making “hollow threats … as they already know the ATVs will go the way of the dodo”.

It is a rare thing for conservative Japanese companies to go out on a limb on a safety issue. It can only be concluded a fear of future litigation over injury and death may be driving their strategy.

The statistics clearly show riding a quad bike is a risky endeavour. The past week has shown that manufacturing and selling a quad bike may also be a risky business.