Widow of food entrepreneur who died after his quad bike rolled on top of him campaigns to bring in new safety law introducing roll bars to vehicles to avoid more ‘needless loss of life’
- Christine Lynn, the widow of late food entrepreneur Denis Lynn, is campaigning
A new quad bike safety law could introduce roll bars to the vehicles in the UK after Australia added the measures and two-thirds of a survey was in favour of the move.
The developments piles pressure on the Government, which had claimed there was ‘inconclusive’ evidence the new protective structures were required.
But a poll was conducted by Savanta Comres for Christine Lynn, who is the widow of the late food entrepreneur Denis Lynn, on the subject showed public backing.
Mr Lynn – who founded Finnebrogue – was killed in 2021 after his quad bike rolled on top of him while navigating loose soil at low speed.
Since then, his widow Christine has been campaigning to have the law changed.
The late Denis Lynn and his widow Christine Lynn who is campaigning for a change in law
She cites evidence in Australia that conclusively states roll bars would make the bokes safety – and is a measure the country has put into law.
Mrs Lynn told MailOnline: ‘The evidence from Australia shows that roll bars can and have saved lives. That is why they have made them mandatory on all quad bikes.
‘It is vital we follow suit here in the UK before we see anymore needless loss of life. This poll shows there is huge public support for our campaign. It is now the Government’s duty to act.
‘I am pleased they have agreed to consider new evidence and it is my hope that these studies go some way to persuading them something must be done.’
New quad bike safety law could introduce roll bars to the vehicles in the UK after Australia
The poll found 65 per cent of those surveyed supported calls for roll bars to be added to quad bikes as a legal requirement.
Only five per cent opposed the change, while the remaining respondents were undecided.
Mrs Lynn’s campaign has been backed by the former Northern Ireland first minister Baroness Arlene Foster, the Labour Party peer Baroness Margaret Ritchie and Strangford MP Jim Shannon.
But Baroness Vere, the Transport minister, has told Parliament that roll bars ‘may lead to an increased risk of injury in the event of an overturn by either preventing the operator from separating from the machine or striking the operator as the machine overturns’.
The University of New South Wales in Australia found that half of the quad bike deaths caused by rollovers could have been avoided if roll bars were fitted.
Between 2000 to 2013, which were the years before the law change, an in-depth case series study of 106 quad bike accidents in Australia showed that roll-over incidents constituted around 70 per cent of all cases.
Baroness Vere has added to the House of Lords: ‘The Government plans to consult on replacing the current, interim, approval scheme for road and agricultural quads, with a full type GB scheme. Any new evidence supplied during this process will be given consideration.’
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