New study finds safety protection on quad bikes is driving down farm deaths
A preliminary report published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health examined whether mandatory rollover protection introduced in 2020–21 had improved safety.
The lead author, honorary associate professor Tony Lower from AgHealth Australia, said the figures showed that fewer people were dying.
"Of course, we'd like to see it at zero but, all being said, it is headed in the right direction, which is a really fantastic effort," Dr Lower said.
The research shows that 161 people died in work-related quad bike deaths in Australia between 2001 and 2024, averaging seven fatal crashes a year.
Nearly all deaths happened on farms and 65 per cent of them were the result of rollovers.
The data shows that work-related quad bike deaths peaked in 2016–17, but dropped by 2024 after the new safety measures were introduced.
"Rule changes like this can have significant outcomes on people's lives," Dr Lower said.
"It's addressed a long-term issue with the stability of quad bikes and the potential if they do roll over to prevent crush and asphyxiation injuries."
The figures revealed a significant reduction in work-related quad bike deaths and rollovers in Victoria in recent years.
Deaths in Queensland also went down, but the numbers rose slightly in New South Wales.
"In Victoria, there's been a larger requirement for enforcing the fitting of those operator protection devices," Dr Lower said.
"They've also worked with farmers to ensure that things like helmets and the vehicles are in good maintenance.
Felicity Richards, chairperson of Farmsafe Australia, said it was heartening to see a reduction "even if that is only small nationally".
"We're really hopeful that quad bikes will ultimately follow that trajectory of tractors … with the introduction of rollover protection, there's been incredibly significant improvements in outcomes," Ms Richards said.
Ms Richards said it would be interesting to see if further research could confirm that regulatory enforcement was making a difference.
"Our focus has been on encouraging people to create a culture where they are doing things like always having (operator protection devices) on the bike, always assessing the terrain and the training of the person using it, and always wearing the helmet," she said.
Dr Lower acknowledged that more research was needed into quad bike deaths since the safety changes, particularly around enforcement.
"One of our recommendations is to actually look exactly at what Victoria's done, why it's worked, and look at that in more in depth," he said.
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