What quad bikes sold in Australia must now adhere to

As of October 11, 2020, all new and second hand quad bikes sold in Australia must meet the first stage of the government’s mandatory safety standard introduced late last year.

The regulations consist of two stages - stage one which came into effect earlier this week and stage two which will be implemented from October 2021.

Under Stage one, all quad bikes must meet the following requirements in order to continue being offered to customers:

“This first stage of the standard is a significant step in improving the safety of quad bikes in Australia, and addressing the extremely concerning rate of injuries and fatalities caused by quad bike accidents,” said ACCC Deputy Chair, Mick Keogh.

“Consumers will now be able to have confidence that quad bikes they buy will meet a certain level of quality and safety.

“Safe riding precautions remain crucial. Always wear helmets and the right safety gear, complete the necessary training, and never let children ride adult quad bikes.”

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The ACCC said it hopes the new safety measures will reduce the amount of on-farm casualties as a result of faulty ATVs or incorrect use of ATVs.

This year, there has been 16 fatalities so far from ATV-related incidents, which is double last year’s toll, according to Safework Australia.

“We know rollovers are one of the greatest risks to quad bike riders. The new hang tags will allow riders to quickly compare the stability of similar quad bikes when they are shopping around, and the warning label will remind quad bike users of the risks while riding,” Keogh said.

The ACCC is working with state and territory Australian Consumer Law regulators to conduct surveillance activities to ensure suppliers are complying with the standard. It warned that non-compliance may attract fines and penalties.

Under Stage two of the standard, which will be implemented from October next year (2021), all quad bikes must meet further safety requirements, as well as be fitted with a rollover protection device. The latter has been the subject of much controversy lately.

The introduction of the safety standard, in particular the clause about the fitment of operator protection devices, has won the praise of farmer organisations and safety advocacy groups, but has drawn the ire of most key players in the Australian market.

Polaris has announced from October this year, it will no longer offer its ATV products on the Australian market. Suzuki, Honda, and Yamaha, on the other hand, have all decided to exit the local ATV market in 2021, just before the next stage of regulations come into effect.

The manufacturers have taken issue with the notion that roll bars will help save lives, and argued that they might cause more harm than good.

Chinese manufacturer, CF Moto, has said it will continue offering ATVs in Australia beyond 2021 and will comply with the regulations by fitting OPDs on its units moving forward.

Automotive manufacturer advocacy group, Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) has long been a vocal critic of the OPD fitment regulation and has maintained its stance that roll bars provide no safety benefits to ATV riders. The organisation added the mass exodus of players from Australia’s ATV market will leave a gaping hole in the ‘toolbox’ of thousands of Australian farmers.