WorkSafe Queensland has urged families to keep children safe on quad bikes this holiday season, with figures showing accidents involving the four-wheeler bikes result in six hospital emergency department presentations a day.
Minister for Industrial Relations, Grace Grace said one-in-five deaths on quad bikes were children.
“Some just didn’t have the right training, some were on adult bikes which they had no chance of controlling, and frustratingly, half were not even wearing a helmet,” Ms Grace said.
“That is why we have restarted the Ride Ready quad bike safety advertising campaign with a free app to download.”
Ms Grace said quad bike-related injury and fatality statistics traditionally peaked during school holidays.
“Kids have time for lots of outside activities over the break, and riding quad bikes is right up there,” she said.
“Quad bikes are a useful tool on farms — and great fun when you have time on your hands — but it’s an absolute tragedy when a few basic safety rules are overlooked and the unthinkable happens.”
She said the Ride Ready campaign urged people to take a few basic safety precautions such as wearing helmets and keeping kids on appropriate-sized bikes.
Ms Grace said the campaign was developed in response to a growing number of quad bike-related deaths in Queensland.
“Over the past 15 years, more than 70 people have been killed in quad bike incidents in Queensland, nearly one third of all quad bike-related fatalities in Australia,” she said.
