Hello Smart Design… The ATV Lifeguard, intelligent ROPS For ATVs

Uncategorized      September 24, 2014      David Wilson

In June of 2013 we published in this BLOG our views on what should be done to enhance rider safety with ATVs with a 10 point message. It’s good reading and smart practice based on years of personal experience with the machines, on the farm and in the workplace and analysing the accident reports we see. If you scroll back through our posts you’ll find it. At that same time we also stated that we were against ROPS (Rollover Protection Systems). That opinion still stands for fixed or rigid applications, because if the bike goes over, that steel tube landing on you will likely do more damage than if it wasn’t there.

A much better way to approach the thorny issue of rollover protection is this brilliant Kiwi idea called the “ATV Lifeguard”, marketed in Australia by ATV goods supplier Topaz Global in WA. The Lifeguard is unique in that its safety “halo” is a segmented plastic vertebrae with a central tensioning rope (or its spinal core) that allows the Lifeguard flexibility if it were to land on you. Whereas a rigid tube will hurt, the Lifeguard will deform around your shape. Bruised you might be, crushed you wont!

It’s brilliant and fitted currently to one of our Yamaha 450 Grizzlys with an easy installation, it’s demonstrating to our many course attendees who ride the bike how safe things can be if only a bit of thought is put to the problem.

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Craig from Topaz Global delivering our ATV Lifeguard

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Lifeguard fitted to Grizzly, a smart package indeed!


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