A growing number of injuries and deaths related to quad bikes have led to the creation of a star-rating safety system, similar to the one used for cars.

Quad bikes are the single deadliest piece of farm machinery, according to statistics, with eleven people killed by four-wheelers so far this year.

In an effort to stop the flow deaths and injuries, The University of new South Wales has undertaken a $1.3 million project funded by WorkCover to develop the safety rating system, with reports saying it will hopefully be rolled out this year.

Professor Raphael Grzebeita says the new system will change the playing field: “What we would like them to do is to focus on safety so that consumers, when they purchase them, they can walk into a shop and then look at a chart and work out, OK, which is the safest vehicle for me... that was a major gap in terms of providing information about these vehicles.”

Professor Grzebeita says he hopes the new safety rating will encourage manufacturers to become more competitive in regards to providing life-saving features, where companies had previously lacked proper criteria or motivation to compete.