Widow calls for roll bars on ‘death trap’ quads after tragic death

Widow calls for roll bars on ‘death trap’ quads after tragic death

3 May 2023

TWO years after the death of leading businessman Denis Lynn, who was the founder and figurehead of Downpatrick’s Finnebrogue Artisan, his widow has called for roll bars to be made mandatory on all quad bikes.

Calling for the law to be changed, Mrs Christine Lynn believes that if roll bars had been fitted to the machine her husband was riding in a field near their home in May 2021, he would still be alive.

Mr Lynn was riding his machine accompanied by one of his daughters when it rolled over at low speed which subsequently resulted in his death.

His wife believes that quads will continue to be “death traps” if they are not fitted with additional safety measures and has written to UK transport secretary Mark Harper and authorities in Belfast calling for quad bike safety rules to keep pace with Australia, where roll bars are now a legal requirement.

Mr Lynn — who was widely regarded as one of the UK’s most successful entrepreneurs — was a regular user of quad bikes.

His widow is seeking to raise awareness of the risks posed by the off-road vehicles and is calling for new rules to reduce the likelihood of similar accidents being repeated, highlighting the need for it to be mandatory to wear a helmet while riding a quad.

She said her late husband was a regular user of a quad bike on the Finnebrogue estate where he died in a low speed accident.

“I now deem it my responsibility to do what I can to stop an accident like this happening again to another family,” said Mrs Lynn.

“Denis was a loving husband and father. He left behind me and his four daughters, including Ciara, who was 17 that spring Sunday evening on the farm when she witnessed her dad have his accident.

“Nothing will bring Denis back, not to us, or the Finnebrogue family which he left behind. We will forever remember the extraordinary achievements which established him as one of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs and changed so many lives for the better.”

Mrs Lynn said the one thing they would all like to ensure is that nobody else suffers the same fate as her late husband.

She continued: “I know if Denis were still here today, and it was one of his daughters who had been in an accident, he would not rest until we strengthened health and safety rules for quad bikes and increased public awareness into the risks they pose.

“I have been shocked to learn of the number of other similar accidents on quad bikes.”

Mrs Lynn said she has also been shocked to learn the UK has slipped behind other developed nations such as Australia, where roll bars are mandatory on quad bikes. 

“If there were roll bars on Denis’s bike, he would still be with us. It also seems scandalous that anybody can ride a quad bike off road without a licence and that in England, Scotland and Wales you don’t have to wear a helmet.”

And Mrs Lynn warned that these vehicles “will continue to be death traps without additional safety measures”.

A number of high profile politicians have weighed in with their support for Mrs Lynn’s campaign, including Baroness Margaret Ritchie, Strangford MP Jim Shannon and former DUP leader Dame Arlene Foster.

Ms Ritchie said she fully supports Mrs Lynn’s campaign to review the safety laws into quad bikes and will be raising this in parliamentary questions in the House of Lords.

Mr Shannon said roll bars must be mandatory and confirmed he will be raising the issue with the Prime Minister while Dame Arlene added: “There is no reason why roll bars should not be fitted to quad bikes as standard practice, especially if it can save lives. I strongly support Christine in this campaign.”

Australia’s quad bike safety standard came into effect after a long-fought campaign by a coalition of rural voices, including the National Farmers’ Federation, the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Country Women’s Association. 

Quad bikes were a major cause of injury and death on Australian farms, where two thirds of fatalities were caused by quad bikes weighing up to and beyond 350kg rolling onto the rider and crushing them.

Roll bars are designed to stop the single-person quad bike from coming down on top of the rider and crushing or asphyxiating them beneath the bike.

There is currently no legislated age restriction or helmet requirements for riding a quad bike in the UK and Mrs Lynn wants to see this ‘guidance’ upgraded. 

The underlying causes of quad bike accidents are cited as not wearing a helmet, lack of training, inexperience, excessive speed, carrying a passenger, rolling/tipping or towing excessive loads.  

Mrs Lynn said proper training for users, similar to driving any other vehicle should be considered as part of the improved health and safety standards.