SA parents urged to prevent kids from using quad bikes

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SA Parents Urged to Prevent Kids From Using Quad Bikes

Parents are being urged to keep children away from quad bikes and all-terrain vehicles following a worrying rise in injury cases at a South Australian Women's and Children's Hospital. This news highlights an ongoing safety risk that families across the state need to understand before Easter and school holidays bring more young riders onto paddocks and properties.

From December to March, the Paediatric Major Trauma Service at the hospital attended to eight patients who sustained injuries from both adult and child-sized quad bikes. Kids ranging from two to fifteen years old suffered various harm, including broken bones, cuts, and head trauma, leading to surgeries and hospital stays for some of them.

Why Quad Bikes Remain Hazardous for Children

Quad bikes are hazardous machinery, even when marketed as "child-sized." Their weight distribution and instability make rollover incidents a genuine danger for young or inexperienced riders, regardless of vehicle size.

Kidsafe SA Chief Executive Officer Holly Fitzgerald said, "It is essential that parents and carers are made aware of these dangers and never allow children under 16 to ride or be a passenger on adult-sized quad bikes. Children are still at risk on 'child-sized' quad bikes as they are still unstable and heavy in a roll over scenario."

What Families and Workplaces Should Consider

Beyond household paddocks, quad bikes are common equipment across farming, agriculture, and other outdoor industries. Employers and property owners who allow these vehicles onsite carry a duty to manage risk properly, and this responsibility extends to any minors present on worksites or family properties.

• Never allow anyone under 16 to operate or ride as a passenger on adult quad bikes.
• Treat "child-sized" products with the same caution as full-size machinery.
• Supervise all quad bike use on rural or semi-rural properties closely.
• Review manufacturer information and safety guidance before permitting any use.

For workplaces where quad bikes form part of daily operations, having a documented safe work method statement helps reduce risk and supports safer practices across the team. SafetyDocs offers an ATV and quad bike SWMS template designed to help industry professionals manage these hazards on and off the farm.

Broader Industry Safety Context

This incident adds to a growing body of news around quad bike-related harm across Australia. In 2022, ten people were killed by quad bikes nationally, underscoring why continued vigilance matters across every industry that relies on these products. Read more about that data in our earlier coverage of quad bike fatalities recorded in 2022.

Quad bike safety sits alongside other pressing concerns raised in recent industry news. SA employers have also been urged to take measures preventing falls from trucks and trailers, while builders and contractors have been encouraged to work together on reducing fall from height injuries on construction sites.

Managing Risk Across Construction, Manufacturing and Health Settings

Technical professionals across construction, manufacturing, and health sectors understand that hazard registers, safety documentation, and clear work procedures form the backbone of a strong safety culture. Quad bikes present just one example of equipment requiring careful risk assessment before use by any staff member or family member.

Organisations managing remote or flexible work arrangements should also consider how home-based tasks intersect with vehicle and equipment use. Our Working from Home Management Plan supports businesses in documenting safety expectations beyond the traditional worksite.

For rural properties combining agricultural work with land management tasks such as tree clearing, having reliable procedures matters just as much. Our Tree Felling Using a Dozer SWMS offers another example of documented safe work practice for heavy equipment operations.

Key Takeaway

Quad bikes remain a serious risk for children, regardless of product size or marketing claims. Parents, carers, and employers across every industry are encouraged to treat these vehicles with the same caution given to any hazardous machinery, ensuring safety stays front of mind whenever young people are nearby.

Read more here.

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