Polaris to exit Australian ATV market
The October date marks the introduction of Stage 1 of the ‘Consumer Goods (Quad Bikes) Safety Standard 2019’, which will see new ATVs subject to labelling and testing ahead of Stage 2 of the Safety Standard, which comes into effect from 11 October 2021 and requires all new ATVs to be fitted with Operator Protector Devices (OPD) – essentially a roll bar in the style mandated for tractors several years ago.
Originally drafted by the ACCC, the safety standards were challenged by Polaris, amongst others, who said the science behind the draft was faulty and selective, arguing that OPDs can cause as many accidents as they prevent, and that enforced behavioural standards, rather than product modifications, are the solution. Despite the ATV importers presenting findings from three separate coronial enquiries to back their argument, the safety standards will go ahead.
Polaris had already committed to withdrawing their ATV range from the Australian market before the Stage 2 mandatory OPD requirement, but on 19 February, they announced that they’d be pulling out a year earlier – withdrawing their entire ATV range ahead of Stage 1’s introduction.
Even with an Australian ATV market that fell 8.5 per cent in 2019, Polaris was the Number 1 brand, with 5,119 quad bikes sold, so the decision to exit the market will obviously have an impact. However, this will be offset by the continuation of side-by-side vehicles (SSV) that already have integral rollover protection and are not subject to the coming OPD legislation.
Polaris Managing Director Alan Collins said that, with increasing numbers of users making the transition to SSV vehicles, they would have ultimately withdrawn their ATVs anyway.
“Polaris has publicly stated numerous times that we believed within 24 months the quad bike market would be minimal at best, as the market shift away from ATVs and towards Side by Side products was in full force long before any government mandates or safety standards were enacted.
“Considering the vast contraction of the quad bike market over the past five years as customers flock to Side by Side vehicles with properly engineered ROPS and factory integrated safety technologies, Polaris maintains its view that the market itself would end up signaling the end for quad bikes over coming years through sheer lack of demand.”
While Yamaha has joined Polaris in announcing their intention to exit the Australian ATV market in 2021, whether Honda, Kawasaki and other brands will follow suit had not been revealed at time of writing.
