A dangerous everyday activity is killing one Australian every few weeks.
Sam Cason was a carefree country kid.
Aged 11, he was a sporty boy who loved footy and the Geelong Cats. His favourite player was Tom Hawkins.
He was a protective older brother to his two siblings, Lilly and Zac, and had lots of friends.
He dreamed of becoming a diesel mechanic, playing country football and staying close to his family.
But those dreams were crushed on October 2, 2011, when the 30kg boy was killed by a quad bike almost 10 times his weight.
As he tooled around on the 500cc quad bike during a sleepover at a friend’s house in rural Victoria, he was not wearing a helmet or being supervised – two completely normal and lawful circumstances in country Australia.
But they are also two of several things that need to change, according to his mother, Emily Cason.
“He was really lovely, cuddly and beautiful. Of course, he was cheeky, like all kids,” Ms Cason told Mamamia.
But Sam’s fatal accident was not a one-off. Far from it, in fact.
Top Comments
I feel for this family, I really do. But...kids on a quad bike? Really!?
Helmets don't save your life when a quad bike rolls on you. They are bloody dangerous. We live on a farm, my husband grew up on a farm and he won't under any circumstances have one on our place. We have 2 wheeled motorbikes, at least if you fall over on one of those it probably won't crush and kill you. They give you a false sense of stability because they have 4 wheels. Why anyone would let a kid ride one is beyond me.