By JONATHON HOWARD
TRACTORS were once considered the most dangerous piece of farm machinery in the Southern Downs, but a new four-wheel contender has emerged.
Quad bikes have for the past two years overtaken tractors as the leading cause of on-farm fatal injuries, with more than half the deaths resulting from the machines rolling.
Between 2001 and 2012, there have been more than 170 quad bike deaths in Australia.
In 2012, there were 19 fatal incidents with at least 11 occurring on-farm.
“Too many people are being asphyxiated or crushed to death, and this is not to mention the serious and life-changing non-fatal injuries that are all too frequent,” Farmsafe Australia chairman Charles Armstrong said.
“Quad bikes have an illusion of stability and people often think that four wheels are safer than two wheels.
“This is simply not the case. Because of their instability, quad bikes are often not the best or safest vehicle for the jobs that need to be undertaken on the farm.
“In many cases a small ute, side-by-side vehicle or two-wheel motorbike will be a better alternative and while these carry their own risks, we know they are lower than that of quad bikes.
“In fact many farmers have moved away from using quad bikes at all because the risk of rollover is too high.”
