Dealers, Farming

Quad bike safety compliance increases

Levels of compliance with a new quad bike safety standard have risen 10 per cent over the course of the year

A nationwide surveillance program undertaken by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) found 94 per cent of new quad bikes were compliant with the new laws, which were introduced in October 2021.


All new quad bikes sold in Australia must come with an operator protection device such as this one

The results indicated a ten per cent increase of compliance from the first round of surveillance conducted in 2021 according to ACCC deputy chair Mick Keogh.

“It’s encouraging to see compliance with the standard has improved from 84 per cent in 2021 to 94 per cent this year. It shows that manufacturers and dealers are taking their obligations seriously and have co-operated with our investigations, taking steps to fix problems when necessary,” Keogh says.

The second round of surveillance saw the ACCC work with state and territory consumer protection and work health and safety agencies to inspect more than 440 quad bike dealers. ATV manufacturers and dealers were warned where minor non-compliance issues were found.

“Where we found non-compliance, it was largely due to quad bikes being displayed at the point of sale without age warning labels, rollover warning labels, lateral roll stability tags or owner manuals,” Keogh adds.

The new laws were implemented under the Consumer Goods (Quad Bikes) Safety Standard 2019, which come into effect on October 11, 2021.

The standard requires all new and imported second-hand quad bikes on sale in Australia to meet certain safety requirements.

The legislation states machines much have a hang tag attached displaying the angle at which the model of quad bike has tipped onto two wheels when tested for stability.

Quad bikes must have a rollover warning label, a owners’ manual which includes safety information for rollovers and a compliant spark arrestor fitted.


Rollover warning labels are now compulsory while lateral roll stability tags such as this one must be affixed as a hanging label on every new quad bike sold

All new and second-hand imported quad bikes offered for sale must also be fitted with an operator protection device or have one integrated into its design and meet the minimum stability requirements for both lateral roll stability and front and reach pitch stability.

Since 2011, there have been 180 deaths associated with quad bikes in Australia. It is among the leading cause of deaths on Australian farms today.

However, the number of fatalities has reduced significantly since 2020 where there were 24 lives lost, 11 in 2021, and nine so far in 2022.

“We don’t want to see anyone hurt or killed while riding a quad bike, so we are urging Australians to heed the safety advice and take extra care in areas that have been impacted by recent heavy rain and flooding,” Keogh says.

“Sadly, we see more quad bike accidents happen during the summer holiday period so now is the time to make sure your quad bike is safe, including by fitting operator protection devices.”

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