Individual / Organisation Name: George Fury

Individual / Organisation name: George Fury

What state/territory are you from? NSW

Public Discussion Paper:
Review of Design and Engineering Controls for Improving Quad Bike Safety

Public Comment Response Form

Complete and submit this form by 5:00pm AEST 28 SEPTEMBER 2012 to

Response to questions identified in the Discussion Paper
1.  What design solutions and/or engineering controls could improve quad bike stability and safety?
Comment There have been meetings about 4 wheeler safety by all manner of people, endlessly. To have roll bars or not to have roll bars has been debated without a firm result.
The trouble not many, to my knowledge, have asked the question, why 4 wheelers are so prone to accidents, ESPECIALLY rollovers. The point is we must try and stop accidents from happening in the first place.
Speaking from experience, I know how easy it is to come very close to rolling over with a conventional 4 wheeler on any terrain.
No one appears to be questioning the basic design, which is a high centre of gravity and a narrow wheel track. This is an inherent design fault in 4 wheelers that can be addressed by the manufacturers by keeping everything the same but INCREASING the width of the wheel track, making the bike more stable.
It is not rocket science to understand the advantage of a wide track bike and in manufacture it is not difficult to achieve.
If one manufacturer marketed the idea of an immensely safer quad bike it is easy to see that farming communities would prefer them for every user, not only children. Soon we could and would all have them.
Ideally the minimum width of a 4 wheeler needs to be a mandated after the results of testing for optimum stability.
Accidents will always happen but reducing their CHANCES to the minimum, that is, trying to prevent them is the best way to save lives.
2.  What engineering controls could improve operator protection in the event of a roll over?
Comment
3.  What engineering options could minimise the capacity of children to start and/or operate quad bikes?
Comment
4.  What engineering controls could minimise the capacity of a quad bike to carry passengers.
Comment

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