The NSW government’s push for a national quad bike safety rating system has been welcomed by farmers locally, but some don’t think it goes far enough.
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Alan Brown, president of the Wagga Branch of NSW Farmers, said “anything at all that helps people make a more informed decision is a good thing.”
“They’ve been proactive rather than heavy-handed with regulation,” he said.
The Riverina saw the tragic death of a seven-year-old boy near Barellan in January and Beck Collie of Coleambally paralysed from the waist-down in April.
Beck’s accident highlighted anyone can fall victim.
“There was no speed, there was no silliness, it was just a freak accident,” her sister Sarah Kisela told The Daily Advertiser.
Nine people have died in quad bike accidents this year, nearing last year’s total.
In June, NSW Labor said it would consider introducing a law banning children under 16 from riding.
Researchers from the 2015 Quad-Bike Performance Project also recommended an immediate ban on children under the age of 16 riding adult vehicles.
Charles Armstrong, chair of Farmsafe Australia, welcomed the move and warned buyers of a misleading “5 star system” used by bike manufacturers, which he said has nothing to do with safety.
“It’s a matter of urgency that farmers fit a crush protection device on their bikes and always wear a helmet,” he said.
But he stressed the difficulty of legislating a ban.
“It wouldn’t create respect for the law because it’s so difficult to manage,” he said.
SafeWorkNSW have issued 300 rebates in the Riverina through the Quad Bike Safety Improvement Program.