All terrain vehicles (ATVs) are rising quickly as injury and fatality-causing equipment among U.S. farmers, ranchers, and children, yet installing/retrofitting ATVs with rollover protective structures (ROPS) has not become common practice.
ATV/UTV's rank #1 in cause of death among children on farms in 2016 (according to data from AgInjuryNews.org). Many of those may have been preventable with a rollover bar in place.
Are any ATV manufacturers, around the world, installing rollover protective structures (ROPS) on new ATVs or offering them as an option during purchase?
Are any of them retrofitting older ones with a ROPS, at cost?
www.aginjurynews.org
http://www.quadbar.com.au/
Two potential contacts for you Bryan about the installation of a protective bar on an ATV or quadbike: David Sullivan from Quadbar Industries 1-855-565-8005 and David Robertson at http://www.quadbar.com.au/contact.html. Imagine they might have some knowledge of what has been done in this area to date.
J Agromedicine. 2014;19(1):15-26. doi: 10.1080/1059924X.2013.857625.
Adoption of quad bike crush prevention devices on Australian dairy farms.
Lower T1, Trotter M.
Author information
Abstract
Quad bikes (all-terrain vehicles) are the leading cause of nonintentional farm injury deaths in Australia. Approximately 50% result from rollovers of the vehicle, with death frequently due to crush injury/asphyxiation. Crush protection devices fitted to quads have been demonstrated to enhance safety. This exploratory study aimed to assess feedback from a small group of dairy farmers (N = 11) that had crush protection devices fitted to their quads. A mixed-methods design was adopted consisting of pre- and post-intervention surveys in addition to focus groups/interviews for this exploratory study. Results indicate that the crush protection device was viewed positively by the majority of participants, with virtually no impact on the reported performance of the quad in terms of braking, steering, suspension, and getting on/off. The most problematic issue was some contact with overhead objects, although the majority reported no issues at all. Some issues were also identified with attaching trailers, carrying loads, and noise from rattling. The participants reported that the likely potential benefits of a crush protection device clearly outweighed these issues. Some 4 to 6 months following the study, 10 of the 11 farmers continued to have the crush protection device fitted to their quad. The major barrier to adoption was the manufacturers' resistance and negative public statements regarding the effectiveness of crush protection devices. Participants suggested that there are steps that can be taken to increase the uptake of crush protection devices by dairy farmers. Further lag in promoting these potentially life-saving devices will only add to the death and injury burden associated with quad bikes.
https://www.nswfarmers.org.au/nsw-quad-bike-safety-improvement-program
includes rebates for making safety improvements to ATVs (Quads)
Thanks Deborah! Are you aware of any manufacturers that are installing ROPS bars before the initial sale, or offering them as an option at purchase?
Linhai ( one of the best quad /ATV manufacturers made in China) have a CPD (ROPS) standard on most models in Australia and can be ordered as standard equipment in any other country.
Also in Australia many retailers will fit a CPD as part of a new quad purchase or supply it for the purchaser to fit themselves.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Agricultural Science
- Agronomy
- Crop Science