Quad bike fight fires up
A quad bike dealer is going hell for leather against the government in an effort to halt upcoming safety measures.
Craig Hartley runs Dalby Moto in southern Queensland and founded Save The Quad Bike In Australia.
Mr Hartley is mobilising motorbike dealerships in marginal seats across Australia to put political pressure on the Federal Government and halt legislation for three years.
So far he says no dealers have jumped onboard, but the offer remains open.
All major quad bike manufacturers — including Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Canam and Polaris — have announced they will withdraw from the market in October in protest against new mandatory safety measures.
Mr Hartley is asking Federal Assistant Treasurer Michael Sukkar to hold the legislation he introduced.
This request is backed by a petition signed by 26,000 farmers and more than 400 motorcycle dealers who stand to lose 40 to 70 per cent of their sales, according to Mr Hartley.
“What’s ironic is Scott Morrison is up in Rockhampton at Beef Week right now trying to drum up rural votes, while at the same time they are kicking farmers in the gut with this,” Mr Hartley said.
The dealership owner said the quad bike was the modern horse and its loss was not logical, since side-by-sides and racing quad bikes can continue to be sold without safety bars.
“In 2019, 16 people died on quad bikes, and eight of those were on side-by-sides, which only made up approximately 20 per cent of the market,” he said.
“Four fatalities were kids and four were recreational.”
Mr Hartley said the deadly reputation of quad bikes was a ‘‘user problem’’ not a machine problem.
“If people just followed the rules — no drivers under 16, no passengers, no alcohol and wearing helmets — the death rate would easily drop by half.”
Mr Sukkar said the first stage of safety standards was already in force and only additional requirements were becoming mandatory in October.
“The National Farmers’ Federation led a high-profile campaign asking for this safety standard,” Mr Sukkar said.
“The ACCC is working with farmers, manufacturers and retailers to implement the standard and is monitoring the supply chain issues raised in relation to the manufacturers ceasing supply of quad bikes.”
So far this year the media has reported on five quad bike deaths, including a 15-year-old boy who flipped his bike in West Wyalong, a former NRL player crashing into a road guard rail at night in rural Darwin and a 16-year-old boy who died in an official dirt bike race in Brisbane.
The other two deaths were a man who lost control and rolled near a road intersection and a man who crashed on a farm property.