AUSTRALIA’S leading automotive body is calling on the federal government to regulate all terrain vehicle use on farms.
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The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries has called for a number of changes, including mandatory helmet use, improving rider training and banning children under 16 from riding adult-size ATVs.
Victorian Farmers Federation president and Murra Warra farmer David Jochinke said the VFF was looking into the suggested regulations.
“Everyone should be using these vehicles in a safe and legal fashion,” he said.
“In terms of suggesting mandatory helmet use for all riders, that’s something the VFF don’t have a policy on at the moment and we will be looking into that.
“Unfortunately, the more rules you put around something, the harder it becomes for people to follow them and for them to be regulated.”
Mr Jochinke said he was supportive of age restrictions for ATV use.
“It’s about the ability of the driver to control these vehicles, especially when it comes to rollovers,” he said.
“They often weigh more than 300 kilograms and fit, strong adults would have trouble lifting them up.
“We definitely support the suggested regulation than no 16-year-old should be anywhere near these full-sized vehicles.
“These bikes are very dangerous and incidents can have tragic outcomes.”
FCAI ATV manager Mark Collins said there was evidence that proved the suggested safety measures could save lives.
“We know that wearing a helmet can improve injuries by 64 per cent and we can reduce fatality outcomes by 42 per cent,” he said.