Members of public have been warned about use of quad bikes
Members of the public have been warned about the use of quad bikes. Whether they are on a holiday or riding closer to home people have been warned by health and safety figures that misuse of the motors could lead to serious personal injury.
Phillipa Roberts, a holiday legal specialist with a law firm, is among those warning travellers and members of the public. According to her finding quad bikes to be a quick and enjoyable means to get around holiday destinations such as Spain, Greece and other Mediterranean destinations.
She said: "As personal injury specialists, we hear all manner of horror stories involving holidaymakers either falling off or being knocked from quad bikes," she said. "Sometimes the machines are faulty, other times the rider has just not been prepared for the power of the bike.
"As the height of the summer season approaches, we see the number of incidents - some of them terribly serious - increase dramatically."
Lack of advice could be the issue
Denise Kitchener, the chief executive of APIL, says a lack of advice from foreign hire companies, as well as a laid back attitude toward health and safety, could mean people are taking serious risks.
She said: "Hiring a quad bike may seem like great fun, but the power of a quad bike is similar to a car or motorbike. We are really concerned that some foreign companies are not giving people enough instruction on how to handle the bike, or aren't insisting that people wear safety helmets."
Those who do want to get around on the four-wheeled motors are being advised to be covered by a travel insurance policy, by informing their insurance provider about their plans to use quad bikes.
Potential riders have also been advised to take basic precautionary measures, such as wearing a helmet when riding. Additionally, ask the hire centre questions about the bikes and driving precautions and also making sure that clear guidance and instructions are understood. If any uncertainty abounds, don’t get onto the quad bikes.
Fatality after quad bike ride
A young girl was involved in a fatal bike accident, when she rode a quad bike, with member of her family. The girl, who received the quad bike as a Christmas present, was riding with her brother, on a main road, when she was hit by a Range Rover, in the collision.
Additionally a man brought a compensation claim against the owner of an estate agent, after he was involved in a quad biking accident.
The claim arises from an accident which happened in July 2001 on the estate agents property. The claimant and some friends had been invited by the property agent owner to go quad biking on his estate. The claimant stated that he was shown how to use the bike but not given a helmet.
He says that he followed the property agent owner’s example and drove off at high speed, when without warning the ground gave way to a steep drop causing him to fall from the bike and sustain a serious personal injury to his shoulder.
The claimant says that he has been unable to work since the accident and consequently is claiming up to £2,000,000 in damages. This reflects amongst other losses arising from the accident, what the claimant says is the long term loss of profits from his successful business manufacturing and erecting signs for the property agent. The estate agent owner denies any liability for the accident.
Updated on 8/5/2009