Four wheelers are dangerous!

[JDNSW]

I heard at lunchtime today that a relative of mine had an incident with a four wheel motorbike yesterday. Checking his sheep, he found an injured sheep. (As events will show, he stopped with the bike in gear and the park brake not set - level ground)

He lifted the ewe onto the front carrier. It was not amused and kicked out, one of its hooves hitting the throttle cable, pulling the outer cable away from the handle and hence applying full throttle. As the machine has a centrifugal clutch, the bike took off, leaving him watching open mouthed. It went over a kilometre, through two fences and a steep gully, before getting entangled in the second fence and digging holes with the driving wheels - the engine was still running when he caught up with it. The sheep was thrown off coming out of the gully, and the dog on the rear carrier bailed out at the first fence.

Only minor damage was done to the bike, and the condition of the sheep was not reported.

John

[trout1105]

Only minor damage was done to the bike, and the condition of the sheep was not reported.

I imagine that there is a new batch of Dog Tucker hanging from the shearing shed roof by now [bighmmm]

[Don 130]

A woman broke her leg in a buggy rollover up in your neck of the woods yesterday. They're dangerous alright.

'Heroic' Four-Year-Old Rings '000' To Rescue Mother Caught In Farming Accident (http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/05/02/heroic-four-year-old-rings-000-to-rescue-mother-caught-in-fa_a_22066113/)

Don

[87County]

A woman broke her leg in a buggy rollover up in your neck of the woods yesterday. They're dangerous alright.

'Heroic' Four-Year-Old Rings '000' To Rescue Mother Caught In Farming Accident (http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2017/05/02/heroic-four-year-old-rings-000-to-rescue-mother-caught-in-fa_a_22066113/)

Don

the kid did well

btw - its a fair way from JD's "neck of the woods" :)

[trout1105]

ATV's like Any other piece of machinery are only as dangerous as their operators are.
All machinery will cause harm if operated incorrectly, and an ATV is no worse or better.

[ATH]

Most machinery whether a quad bike or 4 wheel dive or chainsaw or whatever is dangerous if being used by an idiot. Why didn't he apply the park brake? Level ground or not they're there for a purpose same as in a car.
AlanH.

[Graeme]

The lesson? Put the sheep on the rear carrier and let the dog walk!

[AllTerr]

Don't have to tell me. My cousin was killed on his quad bike a few years ago. Very dangerous indeed.

[crash]

ATV's like Any other piece of machinery are only as dangerous as their operators are.
All machinery will cause harm if operated incorrectly, and an ATV is no worse or better.
Totally agree.
I still wish they made sport 3 wheelers, Loved them growing up. ATV's require a very particular riding style, and you need to use a lot of body english to get the best out of them.
Most ATV farm injuries / deaths are caused by rollovers, the introduction of the "rollover" bars is a good thing in my mind. The majority of farm ATVs are very heavy and I can see how easy roll overs occur if not being ride correctly.

[JDNSW]

I considered this incident was very rare, but talking today to my nephew, he had an almost exactly the same incident about fifteen years ago - only in his case it dis not go through a fence, but got jammed up against an electric fence which he had to switch off before he could even switch the bike off.

[Graeme]

My current bike is very light, selected primarily to move sheep and for quick dashes about the property. I wasn't too fussed with its locked diff at first especially if turning whilst seated but now I regularly ride it standing up, purposefully getting onto 2 wheels at slow speed to turn sharply.

[Piddler]

ATV bikes don't cause accidents people do. The bikes don't have a brain and a lot of times people don't engage theirs.
No safety equipment and alcohol etc.

Yes I agree accidents occur but a lot of them are through operator error and I do get a bit crabby when bikes are to blame.

I have a large ATV I treat it right respect it. A couple of times I have come off when I was not being sensible my fault.

In saying that they are very different to ride and you do have to get used to them. Training is advisable, if you don't have someone who can teach you, they are probably are not for the novice.

Cheers

[101RRS]

The lady who broke here leg etc and was saved by her kid would probably not been injured if she had her seat belt on - most modern UTVs like the one she was in have roll over protection and seatbelts - though it is hard to get the cockies, and 4wders to wear seatbelts when off the highway.

[cuppabillytea]

ATVs can be road registered in Greece. Their Road toll is twice ours. The Road toll in the US is roughly twice ours as well. I don't know how much of the Greek road toll, if any, is attributable to ATVs but having been there, and ridden one around on a small Island for a month last year, I would be surprised if they didn't account for more than a fair swag of it.

[Piddler]

ATVs can be road registered in Greece. Their Road toll is twice ours. The Road toll in the US is roughly twice ours as well. I don't know how much of the Greek road toll, if any, is attributable to ATVs but having been there, and ridden one around on a small Island for a month last year, I would be surprised if they didn't account for more than a fair swag of it.

apparently more ATV in the USA than other motorbike types combined, not sure if this is true was told once.

Cheers

[ATH]

I don't think those killed off road on ATVs etc. are counted here in WA with the general road toll but if I'm wrong I don't mind being corrected. However, basic common sense seems to be missing whether drivers are on or off road.
Saying that though the LROCWA club was on a station north of Perth at Easter weekend and another group were closeby with quads and off road bikes and their behaviour was good even to the extent of slowing down when passing our camp. Top marks to them for that.
AlanH.

[Tote]

From Here: https://www.google.com.au/url'sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjkgM3vzdjTAhWFkpQKHcVTDcMQFggqMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.brisbanetimes.com.au%2Fqueens land%2Ftoughening-of-qld-quad-bike-laws-a-step-in-the-right-direction-20170202-gu3xy3.html&usg=AFQjCNGosZHgb3J8CWVdvI3QOPmBN65a5A

In the six-year period from 2011 to 2016, there were 106 deaths involving quad bikes in Australia and 30 per cent of those deaths were in Queensland alone.

That would be approximately 32 deaths from 2011 - 2016

From here:https://www.google.com.au/url'sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwipkezOzdjTAhWDJJQKHTwiAV0QFggsMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ruralweekly.com.au%2Fnews%2Fs uicide-rate-high-in-qld%2F2068106%2F&usg=AFQjCNHXi94Y83NhRqK36xbxWCwMMVaHJg
Comparing figures between states can be problematic as there are different collection methods and different interpretations of what is determined to be suicide, but the study found that of a Queensland population of 3.9 million 132 male farmers committed suicide between 2000 and 2009, but in New South Wales, with a population of about 6.3 million, there were 88 male farmer suicides.

So in Queensland you are at least 3 times as likely to die by suicide than on a quad bike. Maybe if all the effort that is put into fretting about quad bike safety was put into rural counselling ad mental health then we would be better off.....

I know the figures don't line up year to year but they are the best that I could find ( why is that in the age of big data?)

Regards,
Tote