The NSW Government is calling for stronger national action on quad bike safety following the release of the largest ever survey into quad bike use in the workplace.
Minister for Better Regulation Matt Kean said the state government had made inroads to keep farmers safer on rural properties, but more could be done on a national level.
"There have been 32 deaths from quad bike incidents across NSW since 2011 and that’s simply not good enough," Mr Kean said.
"We don’t want another family broken up, and working with our federal counterparts on a national approach is the best way to make sure that doesn’t happen again."
The recent Quad Bike and Operator Protective Devices (OPDs) Workplace Safety Survey Report showed how OPDs such as roll bars could help prevent serious injury.
Researchers also investigated the use and performance of quad bike helmets, confirming they reduced the risk of head injuries by about 50 per cent.
"In April, we doubled the available rebates for OPDs, side-by-side vehicles and helmets, and more recently scrapped training costs completely," Mr Kean said.
"We will be writing to the Federal Employment Minister Michaelia Cash to seek a meeting, to discuss what else can be done to save lives."
NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Niall Blair, said the research showed how simple safety devices like OPDs could save lives.
"These findings are helpful but they also confirm the need for change and a coordinated national approach to quad bike safety," Mr Blair said.
"Farm safety is something that we must all commit to – quad bikes are tools of the trade just like any other farm machinery and must be treated as such."
The report was carried out by the Transport and Road Safety Research Centre at UNSW on behalf of Safework NSW, and can be viewed at quadbike.unsw.edu.au
