Why is NZ so lax on the ATV deaths?

**bogan** · 9th November 2010, 19:24

Originally Posted by Headbanger

The question should be why isn't the agriculture sector held to the same standards as the rest of NZ? Many exceptions for them are written into law, and this is the payback. How to fix it? with a giant stick, It can be done. The question is who has the power?

perhaps a better question is why does the rest of NZ put up with the endless safety BS, why don't we follow the ag sectors lead and tell em to get fucked!

**JATZ** · 9th November 2010, 19:34

Originally Posted by bogan

perhaps a better question is why does the rest of NZ put up with the endless safety BS, why don't we follow the ag sectors lead and tell em to get fucked!

You running for parliament fellah ?

you'd get my vote

**Smifffy** · 9th November 2010, 19:39

Originally Posted by Headbanger

The question should be why isn't the agriculture sector held to the same standards as the rest of NZ? Many exceptions for them are written into law, and this is the payback. How to fix it? with a giant stick, It can be done. The question is who has the power?

Exactly this.

Thing is you wouldn't even need the police to (ahem) police it. Leave that to the DOL (some ppl call it OSH) after an accident. If the AG sector got hammered like the rest of us it would stop quick.

Also unlike the Popo, the DOL openly admit to a policy of "guilty until proven innocent".

Still the farmers are "the backbone of the nation" so it will never happen. Easier to record em all as 'motorcycle accidents' and put the rego up.

**mashman** · 9th November 2010, 19:48

Originally Posted by Headbanger

How to fix it? with a giant stick, It can be done. The question is who has the power?

the media.

**bogan** · 9th November 2010, 19:56

Originally Posted by JATZ

You running for parliament fellah ?

you'd get my vote

don't think I'd last long, and would probably spend most my time swearing at the slimy bastards....

but I'd certainly for for a more down to earth NZ too

**scracha** · 9th November 2010, 19:58

Originally Posted by SMOKEU

At least a quad bike won't kick you in the stomach if it gets pissed off at you. Is the whole "never walk directly behind a horse" thing true?

Pretty much. Bikes, quads, horses...all dangerous in the wrong hands.

Quad bikes, yeah....you can get away with crazy shit on them for months and then one day the fucker just digs in and rolls. If you're lucky you get spat off.

Off road thing. I personally would like it to be compulsory for under 16 year olds to be wearing helmets on dirt bikes, quads and horses.

**scott411** · 10th November 2010, 14:29

just looked at the figures, we average 5 ATV deaths a year, and approx 40 road bike deaths a year, both figures are to high,

i think the average farmer takes safety seriously, as does the average road rider, but accidents happen, and some people take fair to many risks on both types of machines

**Berg** · 10th November 2010, 14:47

Being that I am recovering from a major (sport) quad crash, my thoughts are, quads are not actually dangerous. They are by themselves an inanimate object. It's what we choose to do with them that makes them dangerous. Mine was a case of waaaay to fast and a tightening corner causing me to emulate superman just without the suit.
It seems to me lots of farmers try to use quads as tractors without the correct training and safety gear. Is that a fault of the quad or the person using it? A huge portion of fatal quad crashes are then narrowed down to poor maintenance coupled with a blase attitude toward safety. I survived due to wearing all the best gear. How often do you see farmers with a helmet on? Not often at all.
Problem is how to regulate it. Most farmers would just tell any authority to "bugger off" and then who do we get to actually police it?
Until farmers and other quad riders take responsibility for their own safety as I did, we will continue to have quad fatals. ATGATT

**fuknKIWI** · 10th November 2010, 20:10

Originally Posted by scracha

Pretty much. Bikes, quads, horses...all dangerous in the wrong hands.

Quad bikes, yeah....you can get away with crazy shit on them for months and then one day the fucker just digs in and rolls. If you're lucky you get spat off.

Off road thing. I personally would like it to be compulsory for under 16 year olds to be wearing helmets on dirt bikes, quads and horses.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/new...d-bike-helmets

Those quads are an abomination. As an ex Kiwi farmer in the 80's when people started to rave about 'em I preferred the Ford Dexta & a real farm bike.
Currently I'm a greenkeeper on an Aussie golf course, quads get a lot of use here on golf courses. We had a visit from Worksafe a while back, we were in the middle of extending our shed & had chemicals store openly on a pallet on the floor & all sorts of other dodgy stuff to boot. The Worksafe inspector was doing follow up vists after a quad fatality & asked about our quad(s) the boss then told him we got rid of them in favour of a Workman, on hearing that the inspector commented on the work in progress with a "gentle reminder" to clean things up. End of story.

**Tink** · 10th November 2010, 20:33

Originally Posted by SMOKEU

At least a quad bike won't kick you in the stomach if it gets pissed off at you. Is the whole "never walk directly behind a horse" thing true?

Nah, I used to walk behind my horse... depends on the horse!

Originally Posted by scracha

Pretty much. Bikes, quads, horses...all dangerous in the wrong hands.

I AGREE 100% THERE

Quad bikes, yeah....you can get away with crazy shit on them for months and then one day the fucker just digs in and rolls. If you're lucky you get spat off.

Off road thing. I personally would like it to be compulsory for under 16 year olds to be wearing helmets on dirt bikes, quads and horses.

Not sure if you have to wear head gear riding a horse, but all the kids I know that ride, do wear it, and its a hard hat, but just like our wee lass from school that died 1 year ago in December on a quad bike, she wore all the gear including a helmet as far as I know... sadly it did nothing to save her.

I have noticed a trend... they don't like steep slopes!!! or the rider is not experienced with steep slopes

**TimeOut** · 11th November 2010, 05:43

Originally Posted by robo555

How about just fitting roll cage/roll bars?

They have been proven to cause more roll overs, and as previously stated when you aren't belted in roll over bars are actually more dangerous

Originally Posted by \m/

Actually the new 420cc Hondas have had a lot of reliabilaty problems.

Not to mention the 450 and the 500 both have major problems
3 sets of rings, 1 rebore, and a new gearbox on the 500 before 20,000km

Done 30,000 on the Suzuki and no problems

**Dschubba** · 11th November 2010, 08:29

Originally Posted by SMOKEU

At least a quad bike won't kick you in the stomach if it gets pissed off at you. Is the whole "never walk directly behind a horse" thing true?

Tipped mine on it's side the other day due to a moments inattention.
Was only going slow, ended up jamming my leg underneath and couldn't get it off me without help. Had to winch out of the hole i ended up in.

So a couple of things i noticed:

Gravity works really fast

Glad i splashed out on some fancy motocross boots a few weeks earlier as they may have saved a broken ankle

Yes they can kick you in the stomach, because I got a big purple bruise beside my belly button to prove it.

**Headbanger** · 11th November 2010, 19:15

1.Dont let kids ride adult sized quads.

2.Farmers are retarded fuckwits. I

've been riding quads since they had three fuckin wheels for fuck sake, Treat em with respect and be-aware that sooner or later they will bite. When they do, be a smart fucker and take appropriate action. I've bailed on the mother fuckers hundreds of times, When I was racing them I sometimes bailed multiple times in a single lap.

3.Roll over bars in the form of the shoulder height rear bar as shown earlier work perfectly for dumb fuck farmers who don't comprehend the laws of physics, Its bullshit saying they increase rollovers (fuck off,who the fuck are you kidding?) and its bullshit to say you need to be strapped in. 4.They should make people who use them in the work place (dumb fuck farmers) hold a license, and they should drill some smarts into there thick heads in order to get that license. And if they don't give fuck, teach em with a baseball bat.

5.Quads are not horses, they don't fine their own balance on a slope, they roll the fuck off, you dumbfuck. Furthermore, when you get in trouble on a slope then steer downhill (not uphill dumbfuck), and if the route downhill is nasty then bail, let the bike go down by itself.

6.Wear the gear, asshole. You're not clever, Your just ruining it for the rest of us.

**Katman** · 11th November 2010, 19:33

Originally Posted by Headbanger

1.Dont let kids ride adult sized quads.

2.Farmers are retarded fuckwits. I

've been riding quads since they had three fuckin wheels for fuck sake, Treat em with respect and be-aware that sooner or later they will bite. When they do, be a smart fucker and take appropriate action. I've bailed on the mother fuckers hundreds of times, When I was racing them I sometimes bailed multiple times in a single lap.

3.Roll over bars in the form of the shoulder height rear bar as shown earlier work perfectly for dumb fuck farmers who don't comprehend the laws of physics, Its bullshit saying they increase rollovers (fuck off,who the fuck are you kidding?) and its bullshit to say you need to be strapped in. 4.They should make people who use them in the work place (dumb fuck farmers) hold a license, and they should drill some smarts into there thick heads in order to get that license. And if they don't give fuck, teach em with a baseball bat.

5.Quads are not horses, they don't fine their own balance on a slope, they roll the fuck off, you dumbfuck. Furthermore, when you get in trouble on a slope then steer downhill (not uphill dumbfuck), and if the route downhill is nasty then bail, let the bike go down by itself.

6.Wear the gear, asshole. You're not clever, Your just ruining it for the rest of us.

Fuckin' A.