27 Mar 2013

Northland farmer calls for quad bike safety assessment

11:25 am on 27 March 2013

A Northland farmer who tried to save a friend crushed by a quad bike says it's time the safety of the machines was reviewed.

Merv Rusk was giving evidence at the inquest for his neighbour, Marua farmer Jack McInnes, who was killed when his quad rolled on a farm hillside in September 2010.

Mr Rusk was a prominent campaigner in the 1960s for safety frames to be made compulsory on tractors.

He said farmers should be trained in the risks of using quad bikes and there should be an independent authority to assess the safety of all farm vehicles.

Coroner Brandt Shortland was conducting two more inquests this week into quad bike fatalities.