Effectiveness of OPDs in Preventing Serious Chest and Other Injuries In Quad Bike Rollovers

PresenterDavid Hicks

Project Research Team MembersProf. Raphael Grzebieta (Team Leader), Dr. Soufiane Boufous, Keith Simmons, David Hicks,

Adjunct Associate Prof. George Rechnitzer, Prof. Ann Williamson

Project SponsorSafeWork NSW - Tony Williams and Diane Vaughan.

Transport and Road Safety (TARS) Research Centre

Centre

Operator Protection Devices (OPDs)

• Main Objectives:

• Have OPDs caused harm?

• Are OPD effective at reducing harm?

Quadbar LifeGuard

Grzebieta R., Rechnitzer G., Simmons K. and McIntosh A.S., (2015a). “Final Summary Project Report: Test Results, Conclusions, and Recommendations”, Quad Bike Performance Project TARS Research Report No 4, submitted to the WorkCover Authority of New South Wales, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

Quad Bike Safety Survey Project• Survey study comprised of responses from three

‘high exposure’ workplace categories:

Sub-study (i): Case Study Quad bike Tour Company with 20 years of crash history data. Now

servicing 25,000 patrons/year

Sub-study (ii): Quad bike Fleet Managers Survey of 12 Australian and 4 NZ companies

- 436 Quad bikes total

- majority fitted with Quadbar (167) or Lifeguard OPD (150)

Sub-study (iii): Main Rider Survey on line via internet (1,546 individual workplace Quad bike riders)

Sub-study (i): Case study major Quad bike tour company

Sub-study (ii): Quad bike Fleet Managers Survey

• Survey Intent:

• Provide ‘first glimpse’ overview of ‘in field’ data prior to the much broader Sub-study (iii) survey.

• Identify from large fleet users of Quad bikes with OPDs (high exposure) whether OPDs in the field were resulting in serious injuries.

• Results:

• 57 rollover crashes no OPD

• 12 rollover crashes with OPD: OPD prevented injury in 10 of 12 rollover cases

Fleet Manager’s response regarding effectiveness of OPD in preventing or causing an injury

Serious Injury:

Quadbar jammed suspension.

Rider claimed without Quadbar

injuries would have been worse.

Sub-study (ii): Quad bike Fleet Managers Survey

Sub-study (iii): Individual Workplace Riders Survey

o rider demographics

o Quad bike type

o usage for work (commodity group, work tasks performed, etc.)

o whether an OPD was installed

o whether a helmet was worn or not in a crash and its type

o the terrain over which the Quad bike ridden

o load carrying & passenger carrying

o detailed information relating to any incidents involving Quad bike for up to three of their most recent incidents, injuries and their type and severity

o If injuries resulted from the crash caused by an OPD

o head injuries with and without a helmet

o and a large amount of other safety relevant information

Questionnaire designed to gather information on:

Crash history of the 1,546 respondents (riders)49% experienced no crashes 51% experienced a total 1,430 crashes

Sub-study (iii): Individual Workplace Riders Survey

Crash history of the 1,546 respondents (riders)Of the 51% experienced a total 1,430 crashes

Sub-study (iii): Individual Workplace Riders Survey

868 rollover crashes with NO OPD fitted & rider was injured 55 serious injuries (hospitalised) and 123 minor injuries

Sub-study (iii): Individual Workplace Riders Survey

Of those 55 serious injuries 24 had serious chest injuries

where in 20 of these the Quad bike ‘rolled over the rider’

Sub-study (iii): Individual Workplace Riders Survey

Trend is significant

91%

9%

96%

4%

100%

0%

Rolled Over the Rider Crashes:Torso Injury Related to OPD Use

Multivariate Regression Analysis Key Statistically Significant Results

Sub-study (iii): Individual Workplace Riders Survey

RISK OF CRASHING

Sub-study (iii): Individual Workplace Riders Survey

RISK OF ANY INJURY

Multivariate Regression Analysis Key Statistically Significant Results

Sub-study (iii): Individual Workplace Riders Survey

RISK OF SERIOUS INJURY (hospitalisation)

Multivariate Regression Analysis Key Statistically Significant Results

Van Ee C., Toomey D. and Moroski-Browne B., (2012). “ATV Rollover, Operator Response, and Determinants of Injury: Implications for SCPDs”, Presentation from Design Research and Engineering of work sponsored by the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America (SVIA), at US Consumer Product Safety Commission’s The ATV Safety Summit, Bethesda, USA. https://www.cpsc.gov/content/atv-safety-summit-vehicle-technology-roll-over-protection (At 50 minute mark into presentation)

Not OK to let Quad Bike roll over rider! UNACCEPTABLE HAZARD

Rolling over the rider – ok?

Van Ee C., Toomey D. and Moroski-Browne B., (2012). “ATV Rollover, Operator Response, and Determinants of Injury: Implications for SCPDs”, Presentation from Design Research and Engineering of work sponsored by the Specialty Vehicle Institute of America (SVIA), at US Consumer Product Safety Commission’s The ATV Safety Summit, Bethesda, USA. https://www.cpsc.gov/content/atv-safety-summit-vehicle-technology-roll-over-protection (At 50 minute mark into presentation)

Inferred that

this is OK?

Van Ee at al. (funded by SVIA)

demonstrated in 2012 to the

US Consumer Product Safety

Commission at ATV summit in

Bethesda USA how a Quad

bike rolling over a rider did

not injure the rider

Key Conclusions

o No serious chest or head injury attributed to the

Quadbar or Lifeguard OPDs

o In field study data is suggestive that Quadbar or

Lifeguard OPDs reduce to some extent serious chest

injuries in rollovers

o OPDs will not reduce the incidents of rollover and that

riders (and employers) in the workplace should also

consider using the most suitable and safest vehicle for

the task/circumstances.

Quad Bike Safety Survey Project

http://www.tars.unsw.edu.au/news/2017/Qu

ad-Bike-Survey_Report.html