Quad bikes are currently a leading cause of death on Australian properties with 220 deaths in the past 16 years with thousands more people seriously injured. This has prompted SafeWork NSW to develop a Quad Bike Safety Improvement Program, due to commence in late July.

The program will include a $2 million dollar rebate package to encourage and support farmers to adopt a range of harm prevention strategies to protect their workers, family members and themselves and hopefully reduce quad bike tragedies and injuries on farms. 

Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation Victor Dominello called it the nation’s most comprehensive program of its kind. “Quad bike related injuries and fatalities are at an unacceptable level. Every death is one too many and has devastating effects on families and communities,” he said.

“What we are doing is balancing the regulatory burden on farmers with raising the bar on safety by improving awareness and providing practical assistance.

“We know there are around 200,000 quad bikes in operation across Australia in both a commercial and recreational capacity, and this program is a step forward to reducing injuries and saving lives.”

Treasurer Gladys Berejiklian said: “We hope this rebate will go a long way in reducing quad bike related injuries and deaths by introducing safer practices.”

The NSW Government will be offering rebates of up to $500 towards the purchase of compliant helmets, Operator Protective Devices, the purchase of a safer vehicle, such as a side-by-side vehicle, and undertaking training courses tailored to farmers.

In 2013, SafeWork NSW funded a $1.3 million world-first testing and research project into quad bike safety, and its recommendations considered as part of New South Wales and Queensland Coronial Inquiries into quad bike deaths last year. Recommendations from the research along with the coronial findings as well as industry feedback were considered in the development of this program.

For more information about the program visit the Work Safe NSW website.

Source: Work Safe NSW, 11 June 2016.