No helmet was in use in half of the quad-bike accidents recorded over a six-year period in Ireland, according to a recently published study.
69 cases of quad-bike related trauma were identified between 2014-2019 following an analysis of data from the National Office of Clinical Audit (NOCA) in Ireland.
The study was carried out by Enda Hession, Michael Sheehan and John Cronin from the Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Vincent’s University Hospital, along with Louise Brent of NOCA.
Accidents
91% of those involved in the 69 quad-bike accidents were male and the median age of those injured was 27.
A quarter of the accidents involved a person under the age of 18, 64% were aged 19-65, while 12% of the incidents related to a person over 65 years.
The study found that the most severely injured body region was the head, which featured in 30% of cases. No helmet use was recorded in 50% of the accidents.
The median length of hospital stay was five days. One patient died after arrival to hospital, the study noted.
The month with the highest number of cases (13%) was October, while Sunday was the most common day (25%) for accidents to happen.
Quad bikes
The study states that quad bikes have a “tendency to roll over with sharp turns, when moving at speed or on uneven ground, resulting in the rider becoming crushed or pinned underneath the bike”.
It said that current legislation related to quad bikes including licensing, insurance and safety equipment is limited to their use on public roads.
The study concludes that quad-bike related trauma predominantly affects a young male cohort with serious injury characteristics.
“This data can better inform national policies and public awareness campaigns targeting this trauma subset.
“The head was the most common severely injured body region, highlighting the potential need for legislative intervention regarding mandatory helmet use,” it said.
Data from the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) shows that there were 11 fatalities in agriculture involving quad bikes from 2012–2021 in Ireland.
From November 20, 2023, all quad operators will be legally required to wear appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) gear, including a quad helmet
The new legislation will require all operators of an ATV to complete a relevant safety course.