The death of a cattleman from a quad bike accident in Far North Queensland has renewed calls for mandatory roll bars on four-wheel motorbikes.
Chris Greenwood was a prominent community member and chairman of the North Queensland Salesyards, and has been remembered “as a pillar of the agriculture community” in the area.
Mr Greenwood’s death marks 153 fatalities due to quad bikes in the last nine years, including 23 deaths of children.
Lauren Ritchie, RACQ spokesperson said that the compulsory roll bar measures that are due to come into effect in October of 2021 couldn’t come quick enough.
“They are very high numbers,” she said. “These vehicles are very dangerous if they are not ridden correctly and at high speeds they have a tendency to roll over very easily.”
“The ACCC has been pushing hard to get roll bars mandatory when manufacturing quad bikes and that’s going to go a long way to improving safety.”
Last month, the Federal Government made the decision to impose mandatory safety standards for all imported second-hand quad bikes in Australia. Regulations cover static stability, clearly displaying the angle at which the bike tips onto two wheels when advertising or at point of sale, and a roll over warning.
Deputy Chair of Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Mick Keogh, explained that it’s a significant step towards improving quad bike safety. As of 2021, all new quad bikes are required to be fitted with a roll-over bar to prevent crush injuries.
“Consumers will now be able to have confidence that quad bikes they buy will meet a certain level of quality and safety,” he said.