Quad bikes – an accident waiting to happen
Sadly, far too often I or one of my team is asked to assist following a horrific incident involving a quad bike. This has prompted me to post warnings on this site and on social media as well as work on a risk management program in conjunction with a major rural insurer.
In this case, it involves one where a 6 year old child has died, and a young teenager has suffered a cracked skull. The full extent of the injuries for the second child is yet to be determined. Both children where on the same bike when it flipped over.
My eldest granddaughter is 6, and the thought of losing her is impossible to describe. I have the greatest sympathy for the parents and all those involved.
We cannot and to my mind should not wrap children in cotton wool, but at the same time we cannot allow them to be put in extreme danger and that is how I rate quad bikes, especially when the vehicle or rider is not fitted with any safety protection.
Most quad bikes cannot be registered as they do not have enough safety features and some models are no longer able to be legally sold in Australia.
I can understand this as there have been so many horrific events where people of all ages have been killed or sustained life changing serious injuries.
I would like to see legislation enacted to make it illegal for young children to be allowed to ride let alone drive these vehicles, that the number of people on such bikes limited to the number of seats and safety equipment such as properly fitted crash helmets mandatory at all times.
I also pose the question, should insurance policies have an blanket exclusion for both first party property damage but also third party injury and third party property damage where a quad bike is being driven by a person under say the age of 16?
For those that own quad bikes, I plead with you to please research and understand the number and type of injuries that have occurred on such machines, consider very carefully who you allow to ride or drive the bike and do you have the right insurance on the quad bike.
If you are in any doubt about your insurance arrangements, please speak with an insurance broker who can provide the correct advice for your circumstance.
Most importantly, please let us stop the needless death and injuries.