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Quad bike safety

Quad bikes (four-wheeled motorbikes) can be fun and useful, but you should consider safety issues before riding them for recreation or work.

  • On average, 15 people are killed each year in Australia while using quad bikes.
  • About half the fatalities involve recreational use.
  • Quad bikes are the leading cause of accidental death and injury on Australian farms.
  • Each year, an estimated 1,000 people using quad bikes receive injuries requiring hospital treatment.

For further advice about quad bike safety and regulations, contact Worksafe Tasmania (external link).

Understanding the danger

Quad bikes:

  • are not all-terrain vehicles
  • can easily roll over and cause fatal crush injuries, even when ridden by safety-conscious people
  • pose a particular risk for children and older people.

Ways to prevent quad bike injuries and deaths

When considering using a quad bike, think carefully about whether it is a suitable vehicle for your needs.

To improve safety when using a quad bike you should:

  • select a machine that has a low risk of rollover
  • block off access to areas such as rough terrain or slopes
  • install a tested rollover or crush protection device
  • undertake a registered quad bike training course
  • ride on familiar tracks and beware of obstacles
  • always wear a helmet and ride at a safe speed.

Do not:

  • allow people aged under 16 to use quad bikes of any size
  • carry passengers
  • carry heavy loads or overload a quad bike. They become more unstable and may roll
  • operate on rough terrain or slopes
  • exceed towing limits
  • operate a quad bike while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Quad Bike Safety Taskforce

On 4 January 2017 the Quad Bike Safety taskforce released an issues paper calling for submissions in response to a range of questions in relation to Quad Bike Safety in Tasmania - Issues Paper (pdf, 507.4 KB)

The paper identified the following key areas for potential action to improve quad bike safety in Tasmania:

  • Increasing rider awareness of risks
  • Improving rider skills
  • Greater rider protection
  • Government-led action

Further details as to the outcomes of the review will be provided at a later date.

Submissions

The following submissions have been received by the Taskforce, and are published as part of the review process.

Submissions closed on 28 February 2017.

Updated: 27 May 2020