EU quad-bike rules mustn’t penalise farmers, East Midlands MEP warns

Proposed EU rules aimed at making quad bikes safer could have a severe knock-on effect on the costs of Utility All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) used on many farms, East Midlands Conservative MEP Emma McClarkin has warned.

Miss McClarkin said:

“Quad bikes are used for many different purposes and they should not all be lumped together, as the European Commission has proposed. Quads used on the road do need to be safer, quieter and more visible. However, ATVs used on farms should offer good value, be adapted to the terrain, and safe.

“Safety features that are welcome on road quads would make farm quads (Utility ATVs) less suitable and less safe, yet they would become significantly more expensive. ATVs are an integral part of many farms and they must not be regulated out of existence.”

National Farmers Union (NFU) deputy President Meurig Raymond added:

“The Commission proposal to increase the regulation on ATVs is extremely worrying. It is essential that these machines are safe for use but the suggested technical changes are overly burdensome and could significantly decrease the off-road ability of quad bikes rendering them useless to many farmers who rely on them for their day-to-day work.”