WorkSafe New Zealand has issued a call strongly recommending that crush protection devices should be fitted to the back of quad bikes.
WorkSafe says the weight of a quad bike can badly crush a person trapped underneath it. Photo: 123RF
WorkSafe issued figures showing 81 people were killed in quad bike accidents between January 2000 and October 2017, while at work and many others were badly injured.
Worksafe said riders could be crushed when a quad bike rolled over, which could easily happen on steep or uneven farming terrain, or just because a rider was inexperienced.
WorkSafe said the weight of a quad bike could badly crush a person trapped underneath it, but crush protection devices would provide a survivable space if quad bikes rolled over.
It said people using a quad bike should get professionally designed and manufactured crush protection devices installed permanently.
Worksafe said it was not enforcing the installation of these devices at this time but would stress their value whenever they talked with people who used them.
Federated Farmers strongly concurred with this viewpoint.
"Quad bikes are vital tools on farms and in many situations they are either the only, or the safest, vehicle for the job," the organisation said in a statement.
"But they can be unforgiving in the event of a mistake, and crush protection devices are a possible step to make those mistakes less costly."