Gear Archives - Quad Bike Guide

Quad biking is an activity many people love, especially if you live in a rural area, as many people prefer to drive off road. Many of us also enjoy mud riding, because there’s nothing quite like being covered from head to toe in dirt on a four wheeler. There are two common types of protection against quadbikes or ATVs rolling over. In addition to a suitable helmet and protective body gear, you can opt for: An ATV roll barAn ATV roll cage ATV roll over protection ATV roll over protection ATV roll over protection But it is easy to become too comfortable and complacent. Complacency can lead to carelessness, and carelessness leads to danger. The off road has made people too comfortable around Quad Bikes / ATVs which may be why we take safety for granted. In the UK there was a call to ban quad bikes/ATVs for children after the death of a 15 girl in 2019. Reports said children often lacked the strength and skills needed to control the vehicles, which can reach speeds of more than 50mph. Due to the seriousness of potential injuries, Australia has been amending their regulations on the use and safety of quad bikes and ATVs. RACV has welcomed new national safety standards for quad bikes but says the improved regulations do not go far enough. Under federal rules announced last week, by October 2020, all quad bikes sold within Australia must carry a sticker warning about the degree of slope at which they overturn. By October 2021, all new quad bikes must be fitted with roll bars. https://youtu.be/AkcosX5ztuM The Health and Safety Executive said that it had investigated 28 deaths involving all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) such as quad bikes in the past decade, including those of two children, which had led to 11 prosecutions. For the statistics in the United States according to state, you can click here to go to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Safety Precautions As with any form of equipment it’s important to respect the machine you are using. ATVs can be a lot of fun to ride, but they can flip, topple over, and crash causing severe injuries and even death. ATV riders, especially younger ones, should take strong safety precautions. Equipment Head injuries are the deadliest consequence of ATV accidents. Helmets can reduce the severity of head injuries, and save a life. Arms, legs and eyes are also exposed to injury from rocks, trees and other debris. You can help protect them by wearing gloves, long shirts and pants, and over-the-ankle boots. Size and weight ATVs for adults and children are not the same. If you’re under 16, your chance of injury doubles if you are riding an ATV made for an adult. Follow manufacturer’s recommendations for weight and size of the rider, and don’t carry passengers unless your ATV is specifically designed to do so. Roads Paved roads may seem like a safer choice for ATV riding, particularly for new learners. But ATVs are not designed to make quick turns on pavement, and are likely to roll over. Keep off the road, and stay at a safe speed. Instruction Studies show that formal, hands-on ATV training lowers the risk of injury for adults and children. If you can find a formal ATV safety class it’s well worth the cost. But if cost is a problem, you can also find online ATV safety classes for free. Remember if you or your child is involved in an ATV accident, you need immediate medical help. Don’t assume an injury isn’t serious. Just because someone gets up and walks away from an accident doesn’t mean they have avoided a life-threatening injury. Even if they are walking and talking, they could still have a closed-head injury with intracranial hemorrhage. If there is an accident, please call emergency services or go to the hospital immediately to be examined by a medical professional. Quadbike/ATV roll over protection The solution to ATVs/Quad Bikes rolling over Once simple solution which can minimise the fatalities is checking a roll bar or a roll cage for your quad bike. You can purchase them from here from ATV Lifeguard UK. They specialise in roll bars in the UK. If you from Australia, you can find them from ATVLifeguard.com here. If you are based in Ireland, you can check out Grasstec Group here.