LEETON shire’s Marg Knagge doesn’t recall crashing her quad bike, but her painful recovery will stay with her forever.
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Mrs Knagge was injured when she crashed the quad bike she was on at the end of what had been another busy day on her and husband Garry Knagge’s Gogeldrie property.
The accident happened in 2012 and, with a specialised training course on quad bike safety coming up at Yanco Agricultural Institute (YAI), Mrs Knagge has shared her story.
“I was on a clear road and there was grass on either side of the road and I just happened to look sideways … I was tired and it was the end of the day,” she said.
“I can’t remember it … I thought I was going about 30 or 40 kilometres an hour, but I know now I wasn’t. I know now I was definitely speeding. (It was) probably a bit of complacency because it’s never happened before.”
Mrs Knagge was thrown from the bike and, while not being able to recall much of the incident, she does remember phoning Mr Knagge to try to alert him she had been injured.
Mr Knagge eventually located her and called paramedics. She was taken to Griffith Base Hospital where she was in intensive care.
She suffered concussion, extensive bruising and a broken collarbone. Mrs Knagge had issues recovering from the broken collarbone and it took almost a year for her to recover from her physical injuries.
The course being offered by Tocal College at YAI is subsidised and will be held on December 7 and 8, as well as twice more next year.
It is is designed to give farmers the skills to safely and effectively operate four wheeled quad bikes and to carry out routine checks and maintenance. Tocal College Yanco campus workforce skills co-ordinator Michelle Houghton said the course could help to save a life.
“It’s so important when this is something farmers are operating every day,” she said.
“An accident can happen so quickly, which is why we are providing these courses on how to be safe each time you get on a quad bike.” Registration and eligibility details are available at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/content/agriculture/profarm/courses/nsw-quad- bike-safety-improvement-program.
