100 free quad bike helmets offered to farmers in safety push

A major farm safety campaign is giving away more than 100 free quad bike helmets to farmers and crofters across Scotland in a push to prevent life-changing accidents.

The latest phase of the #UseYourHead initiative will see a helmet handed out every day for 100 days from 9 March until the Royal Highland Show in June.

The campaign, led by agricultural charity RSABI and the Farm Safety Foundation (Yellow Wellies), aims to encourage riders to wear helmets every time they use a quad bike.

Quad bikes remain one of the leading causes of serious injury and death on UK farms, with safety groups repeatedly urging farmers to take greater precautions when using the vehicles.

The campaign is backed by several ambassadors, including Arran farmer Callum Lindsay, who features in the latest series of the BBC programme This Farming Life.

An upcoming episode sees Lindsay and his wife Zara recount the day he was seriously injured while working on the hill.

His quad bike struck a stone, throwing him from the vehicle and leaving him with severe head injuries.

Despite his condition, Lindsay managed to climb back onto the quad and ride to an area with phone signal so he could call for help. He was later airlifted to the mainland in difficult weather conditions.

Reflecting on the incident, he said: “My head felt like it was going to explode but my biggest worry was ‘how is the work going to get done? Who is going to do it? Will I still be able to farm?’”

Since the accident, Lindsay says wearing a helmet has become second nature.

“I don’t go on a bike without a helmet now,” he said.

“It only takes seconds to put it on and now I feel more comfortable wearing a helmet than without it. It’s a lifeline tool and I don’t think about putting it on now, it is just part of my daily routine. It’s something everybody should be doing.”

A series of campaign videos has also been released to reinforce the message, including one showing that it takes less than five seconds to put on a helmet and secure the chin strap.

The initiative is supported by organisations across the Scottish farming sector, including NFU Scotland, the Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs and Quality Meat Scotland.

Carol McLaren, chief executive of RSABI, said the campaign has already sparked important conversations among farmers and crofters.

“We are really encouraged with the success of the campaign so far and the conversations we are having with farmers and crofters around the country about the importance of quad bike safety,” she said.

She added that the charity regularly sees the devastating consequences of quad bike accidents.

“Too often the RSABI team see at first hand the impact of terrible quad bike accidents, not only on the injured individuals, but also on their families, the farm business and the wider farming community.”

McLaren said the charity hopes attitudes towards helmets will shift in the same way they have in other industries.

“We need to see a momentum continuing to grow behind and our hope is to follow a similar trajectory to that seen in the ski-ing industry where a cultural shift has meant that it is very much the norm to wear a helmet now.”

She added the helmet giveaway could also encourage farmers to pause and consider risks during the busy spring period.

“Our hope is that our 100 day helmet giveaway will help to continue this momentum and also prompt farmers to ‘think safety’, especially at this time of year when the stresses and strains of spring work too often leads to judgement errors which can be life-changing.”

Stephanie Berkeley, manager of the Farm Safety Foundation, said the organisation was proud to continue supporting the initiative.

“We are proud to continue our support for RSABI’s #UseYourHead campaign and to partner in the 100 helmet giveaway, which is another important step in encouraging safer working practices across Scottish agriculture,” she said.

She added that the foundation has already funded 20 Lantra-accredited ATV training courses across Scotland this year to help improve safety skills among people working in farming and crofting communities.

“By empowering people with both the right equipment and the right training, we hope to play a small but meaningful part in keeping more workers safe while they go about their daily tasks.”

Farmers can apply for one of the free Logic Manufacturing helmets through the RSABI website and its social media channels.

RSABI also provides confidential financial, practical and emotional support to people working in Scottish agriculture through its 24-hour helpline.