Farm and recreational vehicles
Farm and recreational vehicles are typically two and four wheeled vehicles such as motorbikes, quad bikes and side-by-side vehicles. They are mainly used off-road and are only required to be registered if they will be used on gazetted roads.
While there is currently no legislation mandating a minimum age for off-road, private property quad bike and motorcycle use, injury prevention researchers, surgeons and safety agencies strongly recommend that children less than 16 years of age do not use them.
Safety tips
- Children 16 years and under should not operate or be a passenger on an adult-sized quad bike
- Make sure children are wearing appropriate personal protective equipment, such as seat belts and helmets in cars, utes and trucks to prevent or reduce the severity of injury or death
- Children and young people using motorbikes, side-by-side vehicles or youth model quad bikes still need to be supervised at all times
- Only purchase quad bikes that comply with the mandatory product safety standard including fitted operator protection device (OPD) and which meet minimum stability requirements.
Of the hospital admissions for off-road vehicle accidents across NSW for children aged 0 to 16 years, 78% were involved a motorcycle with 22% involving quad bikes.
Children involved in this study who rode motorcycles were more likely to have lower limb injuries, fractures, dislocations and burns. On the other hand, quad bike riders were more likely to have open and neurovascular injuries. Of those children who presented to hospital after a motorcycle or quad accident, 1.64% required intensive care and 9.17% of those passed away in the intensive care unit.