The Malta Transport Authority has prepared a draft legislation which, if eventually approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, will make the use of crash helmets obligatory for quad bike drivers and their passengers.

The legislation was drawn up over summer in view of the huge increase in the number of quad bikes, also known as All Terrain Vehicles (ATV), on the roads.

ADT sources told The Malta Independent that until the end of August, 490 ATVs had been licensed by the authority.

ATVs come in three- or four-wheel models and can be driven at speeds of over 45 kilometres per hour.

Before they can be driven on the Maltese roads, all ATVs have to undergo a Vehicle Roadworthiness Test to establish whether they are safe to be driven on public roads.

Once a certificate of conformity is issued, and the driver is in possession of an owner’s manual, the ADT will supply the registration plates and road licence.

The driver is still obliged to take out an insurance policy for his ATV, as if it was a normal vehicle.

Road licences for quad bikes are, on average, Lm30, as much as a road licence for a normal vehicle.

Statistics that show how many people were injured following accidents with their quad bikes are not available in Malta. However, in the United States, more than 136,000 people sustained injuries associated with the use of ATVs in 2004.

Speaking to The Malta Independent, a number of quad bike owners said they were prepared to wear crash helmets because it was in their interest to do so. One owner said he was under the impression that the legislation on the obligatory use of helmets was only applicable to certain quad bikes, depending on their engine capacity and also on when the quad bike was purchased.

But when asked to confirm or deny this, a spokesman for the Malta Transport Authority said the legislation covers all quad bikes, no matter what the engine capacity is or when the vehicle was purchased.