[gpigeon]

There has been a spate of quad related deaths in Australia over the last few weeks....maybe 5 in the last month! This has prompted our State (NSW) Gov't. to provide a subsidy of $500 for the fitting of rollover bars. I'm thinking of taking that up. I have an old Honda TRX300, which I have rolled twice and a newer Can Am 450 which I have not rolled yet. I'd like to point out that I am 70 yrs old this year so I am not a lead foot and just putt around the farm in a sensible manner. Having said that I do have some very steep and slippery country.
To the point.....this morning I heard a guy talking on the National radio about these accidents and he said that the fitting of differentials to quads would make them less liable to rollover. How so I would ask???? Both my quads have diffs fitted to the front only afaik.
I have a 4WD tractor that has diffs front and back and when going down a steep slippery slope I have seen one wheel slide while the other free wheels. Not a good feeling when it happens front and back.
Any thoughts/comments on this "diff" matter?
Cheers.
Bill.

 

[alloutdoors]

Of the five who were unfortunate, do you see a theme in terms of cause/effect? That is were they going things well beyond what you describe as use for yourself and would make you think of making a modification? Please know, I am very safety conscious but adding a roll bar without proper engineering and thought could create unintended consequences as well.

 

[SamUK]

For a roll bar to be affective you need to be strapped to the ATV by means of a belt or harness etc. It would be just as dangerous if not worse.

 

[hodge5]

They all have diffs. I assume that they are referring to fully locking front differentials?
Either way, no equipment or roll bars can substitute for common sense and more careful riding. I've never come close to rolling mine, and I live in the mountains. While a roll bar could offer protection, it could also cause other issues leading to accidents. Raising the center of gravity, snagging it on trees/branches/rocks, and as mentioned, you would need to be strapped in to utilize the safety factor of the bars. To me, it seems like a band aid, when a better solution is in order.

 

[hodge5]

We've also had a string of ATV accidents in VA, lately. The latest was a teenage girl, with a passenger, who was driving down the road (fast), and hit a tree. Regardless of how it happens, they are all a tragedy.

 

[rodp]

When I did motor cycle trials one of the first things you learnt pretty quick was when to abandon ship and disregard the bike. You kicked it away, and if it got damaged then so be it, at least you walked away.
Perhaps some hang on that little bit too long hoping to save the atv from damage ???

 

[alloutdoors]

For a roll bar to be affective you need to be strapped to the ATV by means of a belt or harness etc. It would be just as dangerous if not worse.

Good point, a tractor with ROPS assumes you are belted to the seat....

 

[Goober]

Training courses. People are buying and riding these things with little training. They see others racing, jumping and going crazy places.
ROPS for your atv is not a great idea. Folks that want that kind of protection should consider Polaris Ace

 

[mac102004]

Have you considered buying a side by side?

Mind you I've only been injured rolling over a side by side and never rolling a quad, but it's a lot easier to jump off a quad rolling over when you are say, 18-20 then when your 70 lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[SamUK]

Training as mentioned is probably the best solution to newcomers into the ATV world. If I come across a bit of ground I think could be dodgy I always plan an escape route, where to bail out etc etc. I certainly wouldn't fancy being strapped into an ATV with a roll bar of any sort, an uninvited sharp tree stump in my thigh isn't at the top of my to do list that's for sure!!

 

[Goober]

Now you mention it I plan to earn my ATI certification

 

[mrbb]

I'm with the others here a roll cage on an atv will IMO cause you more harm than good, as atv's are hard enough to get out of there way in roll over as it, a cage will more likely trap you in the cage and cause you to get crushed by the roll cage itself
there is NO way to seat belt you into an ATV in a safe means and allow you to ride it and use body positions to control things as you ride, (lean in corners and off camber angles)
IF your atv is a 4x4 model, it HAS to have a front and rear DIff, , so mounting a roll cage to a diff, seems a VERY poor place to add one any how
you would want to mounted to the frame

next as for a tractor 4x4 model one's
some DO have locking diff's that allow all 4 wheels to be engaged while driving up or down a hill or even on level ground
IF your model doesn't have this option, you should ask the tractor's maker if its possible to add a locker to there diff's
if not, you Might find an after market one, , or there is always upgrading to a tractor that has them

poor judgement is the # 1 reason accidents tend to happen
when you doing things beyond your skill set, and or, on more extreme terrain

simple use of common sense will avoid MOST accidents period
IF hills are steep or WET or BOTH
logic says, your risking things traversing them, you either assume that risk and go froward, or you wait till better conditions
IF you DECIDE to push forward, its not as much of an accident, as it is a poor choice YOU made

I 100% agree with the above about when you crash, BAIL as fast as you can and STAY relaxed
I know that sounds funny to STAY RELAXED< but most injuries happen when you actually TRY to stop yourself, rather than slide things away and go with it!
l;earning HOW to crash is actually a SKILL

the human body cannot support./stop yourself without damage after about 7 mph, limbs and bones BREAK if you TRY to stop yourself LOL


BUT atv's and tractor I have to admit in crashes do seem to follow drivers like a magnet!
way harder than a motorcycle to get away from them!

a side by side with a 5 point seat belt might be your BEST option here for safety, but they will ONLY work to protect you IF you actually USE it, same with helmets, if you ain;'t wearing one, you should be!
and FAR too many don't

I have seen first hand, 2 folks die in ATV accidents, and a few get extremely serious injuries, where life flight took them away
thing happen, atv's are dangerous toys, that just seem simple and easy to use and abuse, and that ease of use , is what gets folks in trouble more than a roll cage is needed!
Think more, learn more, before just RIDING!

 

[gpigeon]

Ok...so I accept the general consensus from our members. Roll bars are useless! I will try and find the official report on these deaths but I think they are from Asphyxiation??? The person cannot breathe because the bike is on top of them.

They all have diffs. I assume that they are referring to fully locking front differentials?

Please clarify.....my manuals refer to a front "differential" but a rear "final drive". A true diffential allows wheels on the same axle to rotate at different speeds....an LSD partially restricts this.
It looks to me as if the rear final drive is fixed bevel gear, not necessarily a differential.

 

[rodp]

The rear is usually a "spool", ie just a crown wheel and pinion, no differential.

 

[creed82]

Unfortunately, in my opinion, this is the price of liberty. Whenever people have liberty, they will exercise their agency. That means some people will make wise choices and some will make poor choices. Nowadays, when someone makes a poor choice, the government often says "that liberty is too dangerous" and removes it through law or regulation. When I imagine a world where all potentially dangerous activities have been banned through legislation, it seems like world I wouldn't want to live in.
My healthy & thin 31-year-old wife was walking last week, and when she stepped on an uneven surface in our yard her foot rolled to the outside. It broke a bone in her foot, and now she's in a cast for the next 6 weeks and can't put weight on it. Do we ban walking? I know this may seem like a silly example, but the argument lies in where we draw the lines with legislation and freedoms.

 

[mrbb]

Unfortunately, in my opinion, this is the price of liberty. Whenever people have liberty, they will exercise their agency. That means some people will make wise choices and some will make poor choices. Nowadays, when someone makes a poor choice, the government often says "that liberty is too dangerous" and removes it through law or regulation. When I imagine a world where all potentially dangerous activities have been banned through legislation, it seems like world I wouldn't want to live in.
My healthy & thin 31-year-old wife was walking last week, and when she stepped on an uneven surface in our yard her foot rolled to the outside. It broke a bone in her foot, and now she's in a cast for the next 6 weeks and can't put weight on it. Do we ban walking? I know this may seem like a silly example, but the argument lies in where we draw the lines with legislation and freedoms.

I sort of agree with you, but to me a BIG part of things today is SO many DON"T want to take responsibility of there own actions and mistakes

its as if when Anything BAD< happens,
they all want it to be someone else's fault and want to be rewarded by others for there own doings

I fell more times than I would like to admit, and I never once thought of blaming anyone but me for what I did

you play, some times you pay, part of the game to me
I think a lot of it comes from how many kids are raised today, where they give out trophy's for just par taking in events and the likes

as if being rewarded is SUPPOSED to happen , no matter what or who is to blame ??
going the wrong way I fear!

 

[rodp]

mrbb, I would think perhaps you're wrong on this. I don't think taking responsibility for actions comes in to it, I would go so far as to say the majority realise it's their own fault, and actually accept that.
What the problem really is has a lot to do with the ability to make money out of a politically correct system, a system that's unable to state the simple truth and tell someone they're stupid, or fat, or ignorant, or too old. So, the last in line ends up picking up a bill that's been grossly over inflated by some overpaid lawyer.

 

[_Wilson_]

Ill throw in, and put a spin on this, how many of us have baskets on our racks ? And when we go extrem riding how many of us take those baskets/bone breakers off ? Ropes would be just as dangerous if not MORE! Example....... Had a friend went riding left that rear basket on, and flipped, and the top rail of the basket caught him right in the spine now he spends life in a wheel chair, ropes would do no good at all unless (as stated) your strapped, I've taken a few head shots from ropes bush hogging, it's no good, specially if you get your lights turned off for a short time I'd rather be able to jump ship if things go quickly south, just my thoughts........good read guys, very informative....

 

[_Wilson_]

Have you considered buying a side by side?

Mind you I've only been injured rolling over a side by side and never rolling a quad, but it's a lot easier to jump off a quad rolling over when you are say, 18-20 then when your 70 lol.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Maybe an odyssey or something like ? I grew up riding one roled that thing SO many times! Blew the over head light front fender and front crash bars off! LOL!

 

[alloutdoors]

Ok...so I accept the general consensus from our members. Roll bars are useless! I will try and find the official report on these deaths but I think they are from Asphyxiation??? The person cannot breathe because the bike is on top of them.

For illustration purposes, let’s assume they all died by asphyxiation. So, how exactly did they become asphyxiated? Where they all drunk and riding? Alternatively, and assuming they were sober possibly pushing equipment well beyond the limits and unknowingly/accidently died? Regarding the later, I have ridden in ATV parks where “tire tracks” are going up an unbelievable hillside and think “wow that would be crazy/stupid” to attempt because the probability of an accident is well into the 90-percent or greater bracket, and under no circumstance would I attempt it, "know" better and have way too much to live for. Hence, I am never surprised when I hear someone was hurt at those parks given those "tracks" up various hillsides and know some of it resulted from liquid courage, stupidity, and in some cases likely ignorance.

So, I would propose the government there invest the $500 differently and make it available to anyone wanting to take a certified ATV course, so they understand the limits of these units.