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There are at least a dozen deaths a year involving all-terrain vehicles in Australia.
ROLL bars might work on tractors, but they could cause injuries on all-terrain vehicles, according to an industry spokesman.
Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries chief executive Ian Chalmers has welcomed a Queensland Government review of ATV protection safety standards but has warned about including rollover potection bars (ROPs) and crush protection devices (CPDs) on ATVs or quad bikes.
He said these devices do not have a safety standard and can cause more injuries than they prevent.
"Under some conditions of use or misuse, all ROPs and CPDs examined were found either to be ineffectual overall or to increase the number and severity of injuries," he said.
"We also caution against the assumption that ATVs are similar to tractors and that similar safety benefits can be gained from fitting rollover protection devices to ATVs. An ATV is a bike and is designed as a rider-active machine, which is quite different from a tractor. CPDs and ROPS perform differently on ATVs."
There are at least a dozen deaths a year involving all-terrain vehicles in Australia.
Farmsafe figures for the 10 years from 2000 recorded 124 deaths. Most were in NSW (40), followed by Queensland (30), Western Australia (19) and Victoria (17).
A previous study in 1989-1992 showed just four deaths a year. Most of those killed were males (103), mostly aged 46-65 (32), but 27 were children under 16.
The most common fatality was the result of a rollover (50). Most occurred on public or forestry roads or tracks. Rider injuries are mainly from rolling (22.8 per cent), hitting a stationary object (18.2 per cent) or human error (11.4 per cent).
Mr Chalmers said the FCAI had consistently supported mandatory helmets, prohibiting children under 16 operating adult quad bikes and training ATV operators.
"FCAI will always support moves that are proven to enhance the safety of people using ATVs," he said.
The FCAI was not consulted by the Queensland Government prior to the release of the draft safety amendments, but will provide a response to the proposed changes.
