Recent surveys carried out at the recent Safe Highlander events in Fort William and Skye have revealed that many children have admitted to dangerous practices whilst riding quad bikes, including not wearing helmets.
The Health and Safety Executive said that "riding quad bikes without a helmet is a tragedy waiting to happen" and are urging parents to ensure young people follow safety rules for using the machines.
Safe Highlanders is a community safety scheme aimed at Primary 7 school children which allows them to experience and participate in a range of simulated practical exercise situations which, in real life, would be potentially threatening, show healthy living or preventable crimes. Organisations involved include the emergency services, railway police, LA and HSE.
The aims of the scheme are to teach children to become more aware of personal safety and healthy living choices; make a contribution to crime prevention and community safety; avoid becoming victims of crime; learn how to react to dangerous situations; know the role the emergency services play; and foster good citizenship.
In Agriculture the law states that children under 13 are prohibited from driving or being a passenger on any self-propelled machine, and that includes quad bikes while at work. Children aged 13 or over, may be allowed to ride quad bikes of an appropriate size and power after they have been given formal training.
There is also a need for owners to adhere to the manufacturer's minimum age recommendations for their quad bikes, and this may be older than 13. The ratio of a child's weight to that of the quad bike is significant as weight transfer allows for safe handling. For this reason, these machines are not designed to carry passengers and the long seat is designed for the rider to shift position to allow the rider to keep the bike under control.
Ian Sutherland, HSE inspector commented:
"My colleagues and I were shocked to learn that so many young people were using quad bikes not designed for their age group, and, making a bad situation worse, were doing so without using helmets. I fear that unless these machines are used responsibly, that sooner rather than later children will be injured or even killed. It is not just the operator of the bike that is at risk. This practice has already resulted in the tragic death of a seven-year-old boy hit by his brother when he lost control.
"Quad bikes are widely used on farms throughout the country, and they have a useful role to play. However, they can lead to accidents and must be treated with respect.
"Children should always use a machine appropriate for their age, and should always wear a suitable helmet. Most machines are marked with the minimum age recommendations. Parents must make sure these are being adhered to. Many ATVs are too large and powerful for a child to safely control."In one overturn accident HSE recently investigated, the farmer received a serious shoulder injury but had been wearing a helmet. During the investigation he admitted that he did not usually wear a helmet on his quad. He now recognises that he could easily have been killed had he not been wearing one on this occasion."
On average, two people die each year in quad bike accidents. Non-fatal accidents are estimated to amount to over 1,000 serious injuries per year. Most were caused by the following:
- Lack of training and / or experience
- Lack of maintenance of the vehicle
- Incorrect or lack of protective clothing
- Excessive speed
- Carrying a passenger or an unbalanced load
- Tipping on a bank, ditch, rut or bump
- A steep slope combined with other factors e.g. ground or load conditions; or towing excessive loads with unbraked equipment.
The majority of quad bike fatalities in the UK in the last five years have involved head injuries. No operator wearing a helmet has ever been killed in a quad bike accident at work on a farm in the UK.
