A Tasmanian coroner has again called for quad bike regulations to be tightened with the introduction of licences and passenger bans following the death of a teenage rider two years ago.
The 16-year-old boy, identified only as BP, crashed his quad bike into a creek near Wynyard in November 2022.
Coroner Simon Cooper said the teenager was riding with a group of friends at a site known as the skid pan in Olinda when the incident occurred.
Cooper accepted evidence that the crash happened when BP entered a left-hand corner too quickly on the gravel Tram Road, causing his ATV to understeer towards the outside of the bend.
“This in turn led to the ATV launching off the edge of the bridge and crashing into a creek 2.2m below,” he said.
At the time of the crash, BP was carrying a pillion passenger, which the ATV was not designed for and had clear warning stickers advising against.
“The ATV was not designed for two people and the presence of the pillion passenger undoubtedly affected the handling of it and was, in my assessment, a major contributing factor to the crash,” Cooper said.
BP sustained serious injuries in the crash and was found semi-conscious by his friends, who had been riding behind him.
He was loaded onto the tray of a ute because attempts to call for help were hampered by a lack of cell service, with almost 10 minutes passing before 000 was eventually reached.
An ambulance arrived and transported him to the North West Regional Hospital, where he later passed away despite emergency surgery.
An autopsy confirmed the cause of death as internal bleeding resulting from a tear in BP’s liver and a laceration of his inferior vena cava.
The investigation found no evidence of alcohol or drugs in BP’s system and the quad bike was deemed free of any mechanical defects.
Timber Tasmania. Image / Google
In his report, Cooper repeated recommendations he made in 2017 following an inquest into seven ATV related deaths.
These included mandatory training and licensing for all people using quad bikes and legislation prohibiting the carrying of passengers on certain quad bikes.
“The circumstances of BP’s death require me to repeat the above recommendations … noting that so far as I am aware no action has been taken in relation to either or both of the recommendations made four years ago,” he said.
“Since I made those recommendations there have been several ATV related deaths.”
“I convey my sincere condolences to BP’s family and loved ones.”
