title: Mount Isa statement on quad bike safety.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Quad bikes are the leading cause of death in Australian agriculture, with half of these deaths resulting from rollovers. Between 2001 and 2012, there were more than 160 such deaths in Australia, representing a significant burden.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  There is a diversity of public opinions offered about quad bike safety. The Are You Remotely Interested … in Prevention; Building a Culture of Safety conference held in Mount Isa, Queensland, in August 2012 brought together subject matter experts from across Australia to discuss a range of issues relevant to rural Australia (including quad bikes). During this conference, the Mount Isa Statement for Quad Bike Safety was produced. The intent of the Statement was to draw on existing evidence to highlight solutions and provide a direction for future efforts to reduce the burden of death and injury related to quad bike use. The conference provided an opportunity for those with an interest in quad bike safety to come together in one location, discuss the issues and develop a common direction (the Statement). The Statement is presented in three sections: a statement of the facts that were available at the time of development; a set of recommendations; and what needs to happen next.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We believe to the best of our knowledge this is the first time where many potential solutions for keeping people safe while operating quad bikes in agriculture have been explored in a public forum. There are some immediate solutions that people can undertake to keep themselves and those in their care safe when using a quad bike: initially selecting safer vehicles to use; fitting quad bikes with crush protection devices; not carrying passengers or overloading the quads; and wearing helmets.
authors.affiliation: World Safety Organization Collaborating Centre for Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia. richard.franklin@jcu.edu.au.
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Franklin
authors.affiliation: Mount Isa Centre for Rural and Remote Health, James Cook University, Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia. sabina.knight@jcu.edu.au.
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.affiliation: Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and Safety, The University of Sydney,Moree, New South Wales, Australia. tony.lower@sydney.edu.au.
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lower
mesh_terms: D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000383:Agriculture; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D018986:Motor Vehicles / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016272:Occupational Health; D015541:Off-Road Motor Vehicles / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011793:Queensland; D012424:Rural Population; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*
keywords: Australia/Pacific; Consumer perspectives; Education; Medical; North America; Occupational Health; Public Health; Researcher