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Australian farmers are urging the Federal Government to enforce the fitting of operator protection devices (OPDs) to all new quads within two years.
“We are at a loss to understand why the Government won’t introduce this simple change to save lives,” says National Farmers Federation president Fiona Simson.
NFF says seven people, including children, have died this year in quad crashes. Yet the Government is stalling on enforcing the fitting of OPDs to all new quads within two years.
The fitting of OPDs was recommended to the Government in February by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
The NFF says the change can be made by the Assistant Treasurer signing a ‘declaration’ without the need to introduce new legislation. But the Government has not yet done this.
“Since 2001 at least 230 Australians have died in quad related incidents,” said Simson. Half of these deaths were a result of a quad rollover and crushing or asphyxiation, which OPDs prevent.
“Either the Government doesn’t think the many lives lost warrant taking action or there are other factors at play.”
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