The university has heard from more New Zealanders than Aussies so far in their quad bike survey – and they’d love to help even up the odds.

If you use a quad bike in the workplace, have experienced a crash while working – then they are encouraging you to get in touch here.

Quad bikes are recognised as the biggest killer on Australian farms, having overtaken tractors for this unenviable title over five years ago.  

In Australia since 2001, more than 220 people have been killed in quad bike related crashes. 22 Australians died in quad bike crashes in 2015, 3 of these in NSW. Quad bike rollovers cause more than 70 per cent of on-farm deaths.

Famers are confronted with conflicting advice as to whether Operator Protection Devices (OPD) (sometimes referred to as Crush Protection Devices or CPD) are an effective tool to reduce the risk of death or serious injury caused by quad bike rollovers.  

Safety advocates argue OPD will save lives and reduce injuries, while quad bike manufacturers, (represented by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries), take the position that OPD are not beneficial and may even cause more harm than good. 

In November 2015, Deputy NSW Coroner Sharon Freund, handing down her findings into the deaths of 11 NSW quad bike riders, recommended an independent survey study to assess the benefits, risks and general efficacy of Crush Protection Devices (CPD) be conducted. 

The Transport and Road Safety (TARS) Research Centre of University of New South Wales (UNSW) are undertaking this important survey recommended by the Deputy Coroner.  This research is being funded by Safework NSW.

Quad Bike Workplace Safety Project leader, Professor Raphael Grzebieta said the Quad Bike Workplace Safety Project aimed to obtain a better understanding of quad bike use and related crashes and injuries that occur in the Australian workplaces.

Deputy Coroner Freund stated in her findings: “In my view, what is lacking from the studies to date is any “real world” study of the incidence of injury and/or fatalities and/or prevented injuries/fatalities resulting from the use of CPDs”. 

“We are asking farmers and other workers who ride quad bikes to give us a bit of their time”, Professor Grzebieta said.

“We need to understand how quad bike rollovers and other crashes occur and how people get injured, or escape injury in those crashes”.

 “The people who ride quad bikes for work are the only ones who can tell us what is happening out there in the real world.

“Outcomes from this study will answer some very important research questions about quad bike safety that can only be answered through a comprehensive survey of workplace quad bike users.”

Farmers and other workers, who ride quad bikes in their workplace, are urged to take the survey.