ATV education advocated

Federated Farmers is urging more stringent education for the recreational use of all terrain vehicles (ATV).

Agricultural health and safety spokesperson Donald Aubrey says there is deep concern about the influx of recreational accidents, especially when they involve children.

“ATVs are heavy, powerful machines and people need training to ride them,” he says. “We’ve been doing a lot of work with ACC and the Department of Labour to promote education for farm use, but recreational use seems to have fallen by the wayside.

“It concerns me that the public thinks that whenever something goes wrong with an ATV, farmers are at fault. Farm accidents involving ATVs are actually declining.

“Sadly, statistics show that while we’re taking one step forward in regards to the safe use of ATVs on farm, we seem to be taking two steps back when it comes to recreational use.”