Off Road Vehicle Mortality, New Zealand 2002–12 Nick Baker Thanks to Bronwyn White, Brandy Griffin, CYMRC Data Group, 20 local groups and over 500 agents

Child and Youth Mortality Review Committee ‘To identify, address and potentially decrease the numbers of infant, child and youth deaths in New Zealand’

Size of the problem 33 children 0–15 yrs died over 10 years Quad bikes, Motorcycles, Motorised Agricultural Vehicles 48% during recreational activity – Second commonest recreational cause of death Water worse, but most kids exposed to water For every child that dies at least 10 more injured – 56% multiple system injuries, smaller kids worse – Some permanent disability Head, spinal

Typical circumstances 7 yrs old – first ride, distracted supervisor – Sudden surge of speed, roll over death 6 yrs gentle slope, collision with fence wire – Poor directional control and risk recognition 9 yrs passenger, towing a load, 45 km/hr – Novice driver, visitor, roll over 14 yrs experienced rider, having ‘fun’ after work – Collision with post death by head injury 12 yrs novice rider, fell off narrow track into ditch – Gear selection, training, speed, no helmet

Activity

Mode of death For quad bike helmet use – 42% no, 8% yes, 50% unknown Need motorcycle grade

Issues – loss of control Visitors and novice riders Power surges, sloping ground, wrong gear Cornering, wrong reaction Recognition of risk Safe speed, safe slopes, fall hazards, collision Liquid loads, passengers, ‘experienced’ Imbalance between size of rider and bike Safe child care and places for children Death scene assessments variable completeness

Brain under construction! Small child = small bike – Not just height, weight, strength – Totally misses issues related to brain development Developmental attributes of children Skills to operate car on road achieved by 16 yrs! Age for a quad bike? – Varied terrain, active riding style, cornering – At least as hard as a car? USA and Canada legislation nil under 16 yrs

Involvement in fatal & serious injury crashes by age - NZ Safer Journeys

‘Children under 16yrs have not developed the perceptual abilities or judgement required to use highly powered vehicles’

Risk Riders under 16 years are 2.5 times more injured v drivers 16–34 yrs 4.5 times more likely to be injured v drivers 35–54.5 yrs 16% of users but 37–50% of all injuries Injuries sustained riding a quad are often multiple and serious A child injured riding a quad worse than bicycle 6 times more likely to require hospitalisation 12 times more likely to die than a child injured All ages 45 deaths 17,000 injuries in 10 yrs 28% of work-related farm deaths

Sensory skills Attention – Curiosity driven under 5 yrs – cat-like – Increasing control of attention 5–7 yrs – Better developed control of attention 14 yrs But peers and risk taking Estimate speed 10–12 yrs two skills needed – Relate distance covered to time 8 yrs – Depth perception by 9 yrs Visual field width developed by age 8 yrs

Make timing judgements Requires ability to determine vehicles direction and speed 12+yrs Plan for terrain ahead – gear and throttle settings – rider weight distribution Identify and predict any potential deviations from the expected

Detect the presence of risk Anticipation critical – Focused attention, resistant to distractions, visual scan of the environment, coordinate visual and auditory information, anticipate ground conditions and anticipate interaction with other vehicles Risk awareness experience & personality based – Acute – at moment of danger 5 yrs – falling off – Anticipatory – know situation is risky 8 yrs – slow down – Preventive – avoids risky situation 10 yrs – avoid slope

Psychomotor skills Linking perception, movement, coordination – information from different directions and senses – requires ability to divide attention – hold information in memory Coordinate and integrate information that is being drawn simultaneously from multiple senses – multitasking – know limits – competence confidence balance

Coordinate Perception & Action Linking time available to action required Motor precision and strength Familiarity with controls – after 7 can abruptly interrupt an action React precisely even under stress? – recently learnt skills most easily lost – reaction not the right action! – novice effect – total capacity – do the task plus the unexpected

Beware ‘brain freeze’ Body designed for physical threats – Not an emergency response to mechanical challenge – If something bad is about to happen we react not think! Stress switches off higher thinking – Pre-programmed capability - paleomammalian brain – Brainstem response suppresses higher cortical action Shut people down with – stun grenades – yelling at them – emergency situations!

Ages and stages safety chart – comparing different settings Parents can judge safety in some settings – Water, road crossing, climbing – Less good for off road vehicles – Potential for tragedies less clear Bikes and quads new – less experience no innate understanding of risks Child in control not parent – hard to protect Have to consider the risks to protect Borderline skills are the first lost when under stress!

Ages and stages chart for different settings

Blocking the causal pathway Developmental attributes fail to protect – Safe routines? – Supervisor awareness – Build risk competence without death Supervision ideal but will always fail Environmental change Not using quad bikes Safe bikes, right machine for the task Rider awareness/training? Remember risk taking behaviours – peer pressure

Risk communication Hazard – the real danger to people Outrage – feelings people experience which drives the will to act Effective risk communication seek to align the hazard and outrage – Information to drive change – Joined up working Outrage not related to hazard is unhelpful

Recommendations Helmets at all times 42% fewer deaths, 64% fewer head injuries Safe child care spaces on farms Consider having safety standards for bikes Safe vehicles Age related standards – weight, speed Behavioural change – training programmes Training cannot in-still judgement! Right sized and powered bikes High quality death scene reviews – allows learning A single agency responsible for injury prevention

Bringing it together 0–4 yrs 5–10 yrs11–16 yrsOver 16 yrs Benefits from helmet use Sensing &thinking skills Safety? Movement skills Safe Bike Matched to User!

Recommendations All children under the age of 16 years be prohibited from operating any quad bike – The American Academy of Pediatrics’, Canadian Paediatric Society’s Injury Prevention Committee, Farmsafe Australia Children aged under 16 years should not ride adult-sized quad bikes – Accident Compensation Corporation, Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, Safekids Aotearoa Any place for child-sized quad bikes?

Choice about helmets Child survival