Every year, quad bikes are a significant cause of death and serious injury in rural workplaces.
Safe Work Australia maintains an up-to-date list of quad bike fatalities. Between 2020 and 2024, there were 88 quad bike deaths in Australia. Many fatalities involve rollovers.
Safety measures for quad bikes involve:
- choosing the right vehicle for the job – quad bikes are not suitable for all terrains
- selecting a quad bike with an operator protective device (OPD) or retrofitting an OPD on an existing quad bike without rollover protection
- wearing a helmet
- ensuring that riders are trained to safely operate a quad bike
- being physically able to control the vehicle
- not carrying passengers when the quad bike is only designed to carry the operator, and
- not letting people under 16 years old ride adult quad bikes.
| PCBUs: | Workers: |
|---|---|
| As a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU), you have a duty to keep yourself, your workers and your workplace safe from the risks of quad bikes. You must eliminate or minimise risks so far as is reasonably practicable. | Your PCBU has a duty to keep you and your workplace safe from the risks of quad bikes. You also have a duty to take reasonable care of your safety and that of others in the workplace. |
From 11 October 2021, new safety requirements for quad bikes came into effect to improve stability so they’ll tip less easily. All new and imported second hand quad bikes must be fitted with OPDs or have one integrated into its design. OPDs are available in Australia for retrofitting to existing quad bikes to improve their safety.
