Driving real change on quad bike safety

The Safer Rides initiative, which offered farmers heavily discounted crush protection devices (CPDs) for quad bikes, has significantly raised awareness and action around farm vehicle safety, a new report reveals.

Findings from the industry-led programme show more than 130 farm businesses installed CPDs through the scheme, which reduced costs by up to 75 per cent.

Safer Rides was proposed and championed by Rabobank, and delivered by Safer Farms, with sector partners ANZCO Foods, PGG Wrightson, FMG, LIC, Craigmore Sustainables and Silver Fern Farms all backing the initiative.

Launched in June 2024, Safer Rides proved so popular it was oversubscribed within 36 hours, with the initial 110 $400 vouchers quickly snapped up.

Safer Farms then secured further funding to extend the scheme, with retailer discounts taking the cost of installation down by as much as three-quarters.

Otago sheep and beef farmer Simon Davies already had one CPD on a quad used by his young staff members but used the scheme to fit another to his second bike.

“It gives me peace of mind to have them on both,” he says.

“I have rolled a quad and the bars do their job. It went over on its side and prevented the bike from going right over.

“Most of the time, they will stop a complete roll over but if it does go right over, it means there is space between you and the bike, or the bike and the ground. If it hadn’t been for the bar, I don’t know how I would have come out of that rollover.

“I would absolutely recommend to other farmers that they get bars fitted. It was a great programme. I saw the opportunity and thought ‘I’ll do that.’”

Canterbury arable farmer David Clark used Safer Rides to get a CPD fitted to one of his farm’s two quad bikes and is now getting one fitted to the second at full cost.

“I have rolled a quad bike before and it was the roll bars on it that stopped the quad coming down on top of me, so I do think they are very important,” he says.

“We find they do not impact at all on the serviceability of the bike. I’m very grateful to the sponsors and Safer Farms for helping to setup the initiative.”

Safer Farms chair Lindy Nelson says the programme has sparked a wider call to action among farmers.

“There was a very high uptake, particularly from smaller farm businesses.

“Importantly, CPD retailers Trax Equipment and Quadbar, who partnered with us, have both seen an increase in inquiries and sales since the campaign.

“It’s clear farmers want safer quad bikes, but cost has long been a barrier. Safer Rides helped remove that barrier.”

Sixteen lost their lives in agricultural accidents in New Zealand during 2024 and many of those incidents involved ATVs or quad bikes.

From January to August 2025, another seven fatalities have been notified to WorkSafe.

According to the report, 56 per cent of Safer Ride CPD applicants were sheep and beef farmers, and 35 per cent were dairying.

Over 80 per cent did not already have a CPD fitted. Most applicants were smaller farm businesses.

Motivations for installing a device included personal experiences of accidents, hilly terrain and concerns about older riders.

Nelson says many farmers referenced close calls and accidents as the reason they acted.