16 Apr 2012

New quad bike campaign under way

1:48 pm on 16 April 2012

The Department of Labour has started another campaign to stamp out the unsafe use of quad bikes on farms.

On average five quad bike fatalities occur each year and about 850 riders are seriously injured.

Last spring, safety inspectors visited almost 900 farms from the Far North to Southland, and issued 197 infringement notices.

Written warnings were issued to 97 quad bike users, most for not wearing a helmet.

In the next two months inspectors will visit another 400 farms - about half of them for a second time.

The department's central division general manager, Ona de Rooy, says it's been pleasing to find that a good number of farmers are changing their practices.