Quad Rollover

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What happened

A farmer was riding his quad bike on his hill country farm while mustering cattle. A series of actions led to the quad flipping onto him. This resulted in him suffering serious injuries: heart damage, spinal damage, broken ribs and multiple bruises. He spent a week in hospital and had to take several weeks off work. Ultimately the farmer made a full recovery and made safety improvements on his farm as a result.

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Why did it happen

The farmer was walking his cattle home along a track and reversed the quad over to the edge of the track to let cattle pass. When some of the cattle wandered off, he got off the quad, putting the handbrake on but leaving it in gear. When the farmer got back on the quad, he put his hands on the handlebars and swung his right leg over. While doing this, his knee hit the throttle, with the force throwing him over the handlebars.

The rear wheels of the bike were almost over the edge of the track by this stage, so he got himself back on and immediately slammed on the rear footbrake. This caused a weight displacement which tipped the quad backwards and onto the farmer. The 300kg quad landed on his chest. He was very injured but was able to get out from underneath. It took him two and a half hours to get home and was then flown to intensive care.

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Key lessons

• When not riding the quad, put it in park and always put the handbrake on.
• Take your time with a task - those extra couple of minutes could prevent an injury. Rushing and fatigue can affect concentration, and in this situation the farmer didn't remember the gear the quad was in – it was in reverse. If it was in park, he would have been safe to get onto the quad how he did.
• Make sure you have a way of communicating for help when you are out on farm – GPS tracking, walkie talkies and personal locator beacons (PLBs) make up for the lack of cellphone coverage on most farms.
• Have you told someone where you are going on farm, and for how long? Letting someone know where you'll be, and when you're expected, can get help quicker if an incident does occur.
• Consider what tools and devices will protect you even when you're fatigued. Invest in them before you need them. After the incident the farmer installed a beeper on the quad that tells when the bike is in reverse gear.