Virtual reality quad experience at the Ploughing

The FRS Virtual Reality Quad experience hopes to make the public more aware of the risks of quad bikes.

A virtual reality quad bike experience, aimed at helping improve farm safety, will be available for visitors to the National Ploughing Championship from FRS Training. 

The VR experience will take the user across various agricultural scenarios and terrains, such as the farmyard, herding cattle, rough and inclined ground, showing how these vehicles should be handled.

Quad bikes have been growing in popularity as agricultural vehicles in recent times, but their use has also led to a number of accidents occurring. As a result, 10 quad-related deaths were reported to have occurred on Irish farms over the last decade.

From November 20, 2023, new rules will make it mandatory for all quad operators to undergo training and to wear appropriate protective equipment, including a helmet. 

To help address these significant agricultural health and safety regulations, FRS Training has launched a new quad-bike training programme nationwide.

The Quad Bike Courses will run over two days and will be QQI accredited. They will cover operations, loading, as well as health and safety around quad use.

Colin Donnery, Group CEO of FRS Network, said: “The use of quads on Irish farms continues to grow. These vehicles are becoming an increasingly popular choice for farmers as they are a useful and multipurpose vehicle for transport, spraying, spreading and a range of other work on the farm. Yet with this growth in usage, there are rising safety concerns around how they are being operated.

"Part of the problem is that people haven’t been properly trained in how to use these extremely powerful and heavy vehicles, which can lead to high-risk driving behaviour and, unfortunately, in some cases, even dangerous misuse.

“Our VR quad experience aims to give our visitors an immersive experience that will correct some of the misconceptions people have about driving quads, showing both their advantages and their perils.

“We truly hope that as more people grasp the key health and safety principles behind operating quad bikes, this will hopefully help reduce the number of quad-related accidents on Irish farms, which is ultimately in the interest of everyone associated with Irish farming."

The FRS VR Quad Bike experience is open to all free of charge on Row 11, Stand 204.