Using Seatbelts First Step to Saving Lives

October brings heightened risk for on-farm vehicle injuries, with hundreds of incidents recorded every year.

WorkSafe NZ's Al McCone emphasises the power of simple precautions in preventing these accidents. By adding rollover protection to quads, wearing helmets, and always using seatbelts where available, farmers can take practical steps to safeguard themselves and their families. Staying aware of these essential measures could be the key to making this season a safer one on the farm. “This is despite the fact that a few very simple measures dramatically reduce the risk of a farm vehicle accident becoming a fatality,” says Al McCone, Agriculture Lead for WorkSafe NZ. “These are installing rollover protection on quads, wearing a helmet on farm bikes or quads and in side-by-sides and, simplest of all, always wearing a seatbelt where one is available.” There were 14 vehicle-related fatal accidents on farms during 2020. Of the four farm workplace deaths in the first half of 2021, all were vehicle related, with one quad rollover, one tractor rollover, one unspecified vehicle rollover and one crash on a twowheeled farm bike. 

Analysis by WorkSafe in 2020 found that of vehicle-related fatalities, nearly half those that occurred on-farm could have been avoided if a seatbelt was being used. Of every 10 fatalities where seatbelt use may have been relevant, nine people were not wearing them. “We have to stop perpetuating the myth that you are better off not wearing a seatbelt and ‘jumping free’ from a rolling farm vehicle,” says Al. “Many farm deaths occur when people jump or are thrown from a vehicle and it rolls on them. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you otherwise.

“Installing crush protection devices on quad bikes or side-by-sides is also a very simple way of improving vehicle safety on your farm. WorkSafe and ACC are working together to ensure this is affordable for farm businesses.” If you are self-employed or own a small to medium-sized farming business with up to 99 employees, you may be eligible for an ACC cashback offer of $180 plus GST on the Quadbar, Quadbar Flexi and Lifeguard crush protection devices. Tragically, children feature strongly in quad bike accidents and fatalities. ACC figures show that dozens are admitted to hospital due to quad bike injuries each year. 

“You should not allow anyone under 16 years of age to ride a quad bike with an engine capacity of over 90cc,” Al says. “Children and young people often lack the strength or weight to effectively handle a quad bike or ATV and no matter how sensible you believe that young person to be, they may not have the maturity either. “The bottom line for any farmer is that they are busy people doing physical work so they will get fatigued and sometimes they will make a mistake due to that fatigue. They can’t rely on doing things right every time. Seatbelts and crush protection provide a layer of insurance that will make the difference between life and death.”