Some 83% of Irish farmers do not wear a helmet when they drive a quad, a recent Agriland poll has found.
Last week, Agriland ran a story where the Road Safety Authority (RSA) clarified the rules around driving a quad on the road and it emerged that wearing a helmet while driving one is a requirement.
A range of requirements must be satisfied and quads must also comply with vehicle standards regulations.
A number of these mini motorised vehicles do not comply with some of these requirements and are therefore not suitable for use in a public place, it advised.
To drive a quad on the road, legally the following requirements need to be met:
- Brakes.
- Headlamps.
- Rear lighting.
- Indicators.
- Reflectors.
- Helmet wearing.
In addition to having your quad taxed, third party insurance is also required by Road Traffic Law in order to drive any mechanically propelled vehicle, including quads.
Depending on a farmer’s insurance provider and their policy, some farmers are not automatically covered and the quad will need to be insured separately by means of an extension to their policy or add the quad onto their current policy in order to be covered.
If you are unsure whether or not you are covered, farmers are advised to contact their farm insurance provider.
A second Agriland poll found that some 51% of farmers have their quad insured while 49% said that their quad wasn’t insured.
Those found to have breached these requirements are liable to penalties enforced by An Garda Siochana.
Last year, an Agriland poll found that 81% of farmers use their quad on the road and 97% of those farmers did not have it taxed.
