A few weeks ago I made the pilgrimage to Mystery Creek like thousands of others to check out the wonderful world of National Feildays.
On the way up I heard on the radio that quad bike roll-over protection systems (ROPS) are going to be partially subsidised, based on Worksafe recommendations.
For me, installing a ROPS on a quad bike is very much a case of the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.
Sure, they might be good at ensuring a bike carries on bouncing to the bottom of the gully or possibly avoiding a crush injury but subsidising an optional attachment not recommended by quad manufacturers sets a dangerous precedent in my mind.
A much more positive and proactive approach would be to subsidise rider training or skills testing for quad bike riders.
And then there is still the old argument about helmets on quad bikes.
From personal experience, wearing a helmet while driving a quad bike is a no-brainer. About five years back I was still sitting on the fence as the debate raged about whether helmets should be compulsory. Then one day my mind was made up by an incident on the farm.
Our young shepherd was finishing up a week’s work and heading home to his farm cottage on his quad bike. He had received some bad news during the previous 24 hours about the death of an acquaintance in the local community.
Despite inquiring whether he was okay and being assured he was, I suspect that might have been playing on his mind.
Combined with the normal tiredness after a busy week and the usual urge to sow his wild oats over the weekend it could be deduced he was mentally distracted from a simple task. The route he was driving was in a flat paddock but a hidden gully to one side remained out of view until the last minute and by then it was too late.
Up at the homestead I received a radio call from a volunteer who was also staying in the cottage with our worker. He said our worker had stumbled in the door in considerable pain, had blood all over his face and was not making much sense.
In the couple of minutes it took me to reach the scene worst-case scenarios were running through my head. What am I going to tell his parents? Is there going to be permanent damage? And of course, is his life in danger?
The accident caused him two broken wrists and some bad bruising.
But the most poignant moment for me was standing beside him in the hospital as a nurse lifted up his hair to examine a wound on his head.
There, as clear as daylight, was a massive black line and lump where his head had obviously been collected by a bull bar or handlebar. It was then I realised how lucky he had been and that if he had been wearing a helmet it would have totally absorbed the impact.
And so, from that day forth our farm policy of being ho-hum about helmets went to compulsory use for everyone.
And do you know what, they’re not that bloody bad.
There are heaps of options out there for all the bald, mullet, pumpkin or tiny heads that make up our farming communities.
Hell, they even come with air vents, colour choices and ear muffs for multi-tasking if you so require.
And I can’t remember one day when it has been pouring with rain that I have regretted having a truly waterproof structure on top of my head.
But despite being an advocate of wearing a helmet, prevention is a million times better than any cure.
Once you have crashed a quad it is too late to hope a helmet or ROPS is going to save you.
The most powerful tool in quad bike safety is the top two inches between the ears. Some really simple common sense questions can really make a huge difference between safety and the scrap heap.
Is the quad I am going to ride ready for all that I am going to throw at it today? This includes maintenance, tyre grip, tyre pressure, fuel and whether any accessories are going to or should be used. More often than not a trailer or carrier accessory like a sprayer cause a quad to behave differently to manufacturers’ recommendations and put the rider at risk.
Am I going to get up/down/around/through this paddock safely based on my skills and this bike’s performance? It is far better to stop and take some time to consider this than the old she’ll be right and just go for it. Go the other way even if it takes a bit longer.
And it might sound stupidly simple but when you are riding a quad bike, just drive it. The other stuff that is in your mind like the job you are heading to do, the mutt that keeps annoying you, the girl that keeps ignoring your Tinder requests or anything else need to be put to the side to allow you to concentrate on the task at hand.
And don’t stop thinking about the bike.
