Older New Zealand farmers’ views of quad bike risk

Abstract or Summary

The increased availability and use of quad bikes, especially within the farming sector, has resulted in an increase in serious injuries over the past decade. The financial and personal burden of such injuries are areas of concern for New Zealand and Australia. This research used focussed ethnography to understand farmers’ attitudes to risk and quad bike use. Face to face interviews with eight farmers over the age of 55, four of whom had been admitted to hospital following quad bike accidents and four who had not, were undertaken. The farmers discussed accidents they had experienced and how they perceived risk in relation to quad bikes on the farm. The results demonstrate that this group of farmers are aware of the risks and take steps to reduce accidents for themselves and their employees. Importantly, they balance potential risk against the utility and economic advantages of quad bike use for farming.