Call for Quad Bike Laws

ON Thursday, New South Wales deputy state coroner, Elizabeth Ryan, recommended the introduction of new laws for quad bikes, to make it a criminal offence for adults to allow children under the age of 16 to ride an adult sized quad bike, mandatory licencing for adult riders and to allow police to enter private properties to investigate potential offences.

The coroner made the recommendations as part of her findings into the death of Myley Maxwell, a six year old girl, who died as a result of blunt force trauma to her head after a quad bike accident in the Pilliga in March 2017.

Myley was visiting a family friend’s farm and was with four friends when the accident occurred.

One of her friends was Victory, a former Scone Grammar School student, who was at the same birthday party, videoed the girls on the quad bikes before the accident and carried Myley after the accident to get help.

The coroner reviewed the video taken by Victory which showed the girls laughing, singing and calling out to each other as they rode.

The 13 year old girl riding the bike Myley was on, can be seen in the video momentarily losing control of the quad bike and Myley can be heard saying “I hated that.”

The coroner said it was “wholly inappropriate and unsafe” that the five girls were using the two quad bikes without helmets or training.

Ms Ryan said the girls had been allowed to use the adult quad bikes outside of their intended usage and with complete disregard for the safety warnings.

Victory’s grandmother, Edwina Southern, spoke to scone.com.au just days after the accident, (Plea to Quad Bike Users) and said she was shocked to learn of the dangers of quad bikes.

“I stopped and had a look at a new quad bike in a shop and there are warning labels all over them and I just didn’t realise they were so dangerous,” said Ms Southern.

“Drivers must be over 16, no passengers because that affects the ability to steer it, must have roll bars and driver must wear a helmet that’s just four of the things I’ve written but there were a lot more warnings on the brand new bike, but I suppose they wear off out in the weather,” Edwina Southern said.

The coroner said Myley’s death was “entirely preventable” and hopes her death will prompt positive changes to reduce the risk of other families being devastated in the same way.

The government has rebates available to owners of quad bikes to improve safety features.

For more information on the rebates visit: SafeWork NSW.