Quad bike fatalities serve as safety warning

AS the farming community comes to terms with the death of two children in quad bike accidents recently, the Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) is urging all farmers to take extreme care when using quad bikes or consider using safer farm vehicle alternatives.

“It is hard to imagine the pain and devastation for the families, friends and communities of the two young boys that died in quad bike roll-over accidents last Saturday,” VFF President David Jochinke said.

“These deaths bring the total deaths from quad bikes in 2019 to five, three of these have been children, and four of these incidents have been the result of quad bikes rolling.

“If you choose to continue using quad bikes on your farm, you should not allow children under 16 to drive or ride as a passenger on any adult-sized quad bikes,” he said.

“These vehicles are simply too heavy and dangerous for children, please always wear a helmet and ride slowly and sensibly.”

“All Victorian farmers can also take advantage of the quad bike safety rebate scheme.

“Each farm business is eligible for a $1,200 rebate, which can cover half the cost of two crush protection devices.

“Alternatively, if you want to move away from the use of quad bikes on your property, the $1,200 rebate can go towards the cost of buying a side-byside or small utility vehicle.

“In less than three years, the rebate scheme has received over 4,400 applications and saved Victorian farmers almost $4 million,” Mr Jochinke said.

Farmers wishing to apply for the rebate should telephone the VFF on 1300 882 833 or visit vff.org.au/quadbike to apply for the rebate immediately.