Quad bikes and side-by-side vehicles
Quad bikes and side-by-side vehicles are high risk vehicles. We've provided information to help keep everyone safe.
Getting home safe is what matters most
Why are quad bikes so dangerous?
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Your obligations
If you are a farmer who is either an employer, or in charge of a farm workplace - then you must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the health and safety of workers and other persons is not put at risk from the work undertaken. If your work involves the use of quadbikes or side-by-side vehicles (SSVs), then you must ensure those vehicles do not put workers and others at risk.
It is important that workers who operate any vehicle or machine on the farm have the necessary skills to operate the machine safely in the workplace. Farmers who are employers must assess skills, provide safety inductions and training if necessary.
More information
In 2016, the NSW Quad Bike Safety Improvement Program was launched to address the unacceptable fatalities and serious injuries caused by the on-farm use of quad bikes. The program provides support to NSW farmers through the quad bike safety rebate and training package.
The Quad Bike Safety Improvement Program develops ongoing safety and educational campaigns targeting high risk quad bike and SSV safety issues and to promote the Quad Bike Safety Rebate and Training Program.
- Quad Bike Safety – Graham’s Story 2017
- Child Safety – Amber’s Story 2017
- Myth Busters (Quad Bike Safety YouTube playlist) 2019
- Quad Bikes Kill Lives Campaign 2019
- Child Safety Campaign ‘Keep kids off adult sized quad bikes’ April – June 2020
- SSV Safety Campaign ‘A seat belt could save your life’ August – September 2020
- Roll Bar Safety Campaign July – September 2020
- Keep Safe These Summer Holidays (SSV, Child and Helmet Safety) December 2020 – January 2021
- Keep Safe These Easter Holidays (SSV, Child and Helmet Safety) March – April 2021
- Roll bars save lives – June 2021
Following the introduction of the quad bike safety improvement program in 2016, an assessment of the awareness, attitudes and behaviours of NSW farmers towards quad bikes, SSVs and related matters (PDF 1.2MB) shows:
- quad bikes are being used less frequently and more carefully
- fewer farmers are planning to replace their quad bikes
- more farmers are switching to SSVs – the use of SSVs has increased by 12 per cent since 2017
- awareness of safety options, such as OPDs, has increased.
UNSW Sydney – Transport and Road Safety
In early 2016 we engaged the University of New South Wales Transport and Road Safety (UNSW TARS), who delivered world-leading research into quad bike safety in 2015, to undertake an independent survey study to determine the efficacy of OPDs as well as helmets compliant with NZS 8600:2002. The outcomes of this research is available below.
We have also developed a procedure and checklist for first responders to quad bike and SSV incidents in collaboration with NSW Police. The checklist contains essential information that is used to inform quad bike and side-by-side vehicle safety improvements.
Reports related to the Quad bike and SSV safety improvement program