This document presents findings from research on the rollover crash performance of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in Australia, highlighting significant dangers associated with ATV rollovers, particularly in agricultural settings. It critiques the current safety philosophies that inadequately address the unique handling and stability challenges of ATVs, proposing a practical rollover protection system that enhances rider safety. Ongoing research aims to develop anti-crush performance tests and evaluate existing ATV models to improve safety standards and minimize rollover-related injuries.

1. Transport and Road Safety (TARS) Research
Rollover Crash Performance Testing
Quad Bikes (ATV’s)
Raphael Grzebieta and George Rechnitzer
Transport and Road Safety (TARS) Research, UNSW
Contact:
Prof. Raphael Grzebieta, r.grzebieta@unsw.edu.au
Dr. George Rechnitzer, g.rechnitzer@unsw.edu.au

2. Overview of down-under work carried out
• All Terrain Vehicle Injuries and
Deaths, Monash University
Study, Australia, March 2003, Rechnitzer G., Day
L., Grzebieta R.H., Zou R. and Richardson S.
• Study carried out at request of Victorian State
Government WorkCover Authority and State
Coroner
• 7 rollover crush and asphyxiation cases were linked
by Coroner

3. Overview of down-under work carried out
• ATV rollovers a major cause of fatalities in Australia -
crushing of rider by the ATV or ejection with impact
with the ground or objects.
• Most serious incidents occur in agricultural settings.
Now around 30 deaths per year. Around 50% are
rollovers (Lower T, Herde E, Fragar L. Quad bike
deaths in Australia 2001 to 2010. Journal of
Health, Safety & Environment 2012;28:7-24.)
• This compares to 65% rollovers in the US identified
by CPSC (Garland S. All-terrain vehicle deaths
database. US Consumer Product Safety
Commission, 2011.)

4. Overview of down-under work carried out
• Aims of Monash study were:
- A review of ATV related fatalities and serious
injuries in Australia, USA, UK and New Zealand;
- review of previous research of ATV fatalities and
serious injuries
- examine feasibility of fitting effective occupant
rollover protection system

5. Overview of down-under work carried out
• Method:
- Investigation of ATV Stability Factors And
Overturn Angle (static and active riding)
HONDA TRX 350

6. Overview of down-under work carried out
• Method:
- Investigation of ATV Stability Factors And
Overturn Angle (static and active riding)

7. Overview of down-under work carried out
• Method:
- Investigation of ATV Stability Factors And
Overturn Angle (static and active riding)

8. Overview of down-under work carried out

9. Overview of down-under work carried out
• Method:
- Structural and dynamic computer analysis of ATV
rollover protective structure
Baseline MADYMO model
HONDA TRX 350

10. Overview of down-under work carried out
• Method:
- Structural and dynamic computer analysis of ATV
rollover protective structure
MADYMO model
HONDA TRX 350
with ROPS and seat
belts

11. Overview of down-under work carried out
• Method:
- Structural and dynamic computer analysis of ATV
rollover protective structure
Cross over seat belt
system used for
Cases 2 & 4 & 6

12. Overview of down-under work carried out
• Method:
- Structural and dynamic computer analysis of ATV
rollover protective structure

13. Overview of down-under work carried out
• Results:

14. Overview of down-under work carried out
• Study findings:
- ATVs although based on motorcycle structures with two
extra wheels added, have significant differences in
handling, usage and collision modes. Despite these major
differences, ATV safety philosophy retains and promotes,
quite inappropriately, a motorcycle based and rider-
centred perspective on safety, rather than a vehicle one.
That is, ATV safety is considered to depend on rider
separation from the vehicle and the addition of
protective clothing and helmet. Simply put, such safe
philosophies are ill conceived and dangerous for ATV
riders. They do not offer any protection in the most
common modes of injury with ATVs – rollovers, nor
collisions.

15. Overview of down-under work carried out
• Study findings:
- The design of ATVs in terms of their short wheel base,
relatively narrow track and high centre of gravity
positions, and lack of a differential, result in adverse
handling characteristics, which are intended to be
compensated by active-riding techniques. Such
techniques require shift in position of the rider’s body to
increase stability during manoeuvring. Stability analyses
of the benefits of active riding show these to have quite
limited benefit (about 20% or less), and overall would
appear to be overrated as a means of enhancing the
control of ATVs.

16. Overview of down-under work carried out
• Study findings:
- Virtually all of the previous international research on
fitting Rollover Protective Systems on ATVs to date has
been predicated on having an unrestrained (or
ineffectively restrained) rider so as to maintain active
riding. This has led to protective structure designs with
very poor effectiveness and in many cases designs that
could well increase severe injury risk. Similarly, the
Protective Structure designs suggested through the NZ
ROPS guide and those of UK HSE are ill-conceived, totally
inadequate, indeed dangerous, as they provide
inadequate survival space and do not require proper
restraint systems.

17. Overview of down-under work carried out
• Study findings:
- Three crash scenarios were modelled, with and without
the Rollover Protective System. Scenario 1 was an ATV
travelling at 7km/h across a 30-degree slope in which the
ATV rolls due to hitting a rock. Scenario 2 involved the
ATV travelling at 30km/h across a 30-degree slope and
rolling due to hitting a rock. Scenario 3 was the same as
the second, but with the ATV travelling at 20km/h. In
Scenario 1, the ATV without ROPS rolled onto the rider,
and in scenarios 2 & 3 the rider was ejected striking the
ground resulting in severe injury levels (fatal in the 2nd
scenario). In the three scenarios where the ATV was fitted
with the Rollover Protective System, the occupant
received low injury levels.

18. Overview of down-under work carried out
• Study findings:
- It is possible to design a practical rollover protection
system for an ATV that will protect a rider against serious
injury in a rollover, and other collision modes. Such a
system requires a lightweight but high strength structure
that protects the occupant survival space, together with a
high backed seat with side bolsters, and seatbelt system
to effectively restrain the occupant within the protected
zone.

19. Overview of down-under work carried out
• The Monash study outcomes is what we thought in
2003. However, that perspective has since changed
particularly after carrying out an analysis of the
QuadBar described in the next few slides.
• Consideration of harm minimization must be applied
here
• Because of this new project we are starting from a
clean sheet of paper almost – we are focusing on
performance testing and let industry instead develop
their own systems to mitigate rollover casualties

20. Overview of down-under work carried out
• SECOND STUDY - Quadbar comparing it to the
baseline and MUARC ROPS for 9 cases

21. Overview of down-under work carried out
• SECOND STUDY - Quadbar comparing it to the
baseline and MUARC ROPS for 9 cases

22. Overview of down-under work carried out
• Study findings:
- Addition of the Quad-bar to an ATV would help mitigate
the injuries resulting from most rear rollover scenarios
and some low speed, low slope scenarios. It does not
appear to influence the outcome of higher speed cases as
it provides no occupant restraint. It appears to be an
increased risk in frontal rollovers as the Quad-bar may
come into contact with the rider when the full weight of
the ATV is behind it.
- The Quad-bar’s extension helps to stop the ATV from
continuing to roll down the slope, restricting it to one
quarter turn in cases where the slope is 20 degrees or
less and in rearward rollovers and power takeoff cases

23. Current work
• $1 million dollar applied research and testing project
being undertaken at TARS, UNSW, aimed at improving
the safety of Quad Bikes (ATVs) from a stability and
rollover crush protection perspective.
• Project funded by WorkCover NSW, and strongly
supported by the NSW State Government. The test work
will be carried out at CRASHLAB in Sydney
(http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/crashlab/index.html).
• Tilt table to be developed at Crashlab.
• Table will be capable of allowing a tilt and also slide and
then tilt tests

24. Current work
• Evaluation of quad bike stability loaded with after market
products (e.g. spray tanks, tow trailers, etc.)
• Development of quad bike anti crush performance tests
that will consider asphyxiation
• Evaluation and ranking of current commercially available
potential rollover protection systems
Project Reference Group with all stakeholders
represented – State Government OH&S, Farmers
Representatives, Manufacturers, Aftermarket
manufacturers, Workers Union, Universities (US and
Aus), National and International researchers. Assess
project outcomes and provide feedback

25. Current work
• Evaluation and ranking of 10 quad bikes (ATVs) for
stability
• Evaluation of quad bike stability loaded with after market
products (e.g. spray tanks, tow trailers, etc.)
• Develop quad bike anti crush performance tests that will
consider asphyxiation
• Evaluate and rank current commercially available
potential rollover protection systems
Essentially Star Rating Quad Bikes (ATVs) for stability
and crush protection similar to IIHS or NCAP. This
could be linked back to injury outcomes.

26. NZ Land Corporation Farming Tests
Source: Al McCone, mcconea@landcorp.co.nz
Landcorp Farming Ltd (New Zealand)

27. NZ Land Corporation Farming Tests
Source: Al McCone, mcconea@landcorp.co.nz
Landcorp Farming Ltd (New Zealand)

28. NZ Land Corporation Farming Tests
Source: Al McCone, mcconea@landcorp.co.nz
Landcorp Farming Ltd (New Zealand)

29. Questions?