In July, there were four deaths — a fatality in Wairarapa on July 18, followed by further tragedies in Canterbury on July 22, in Southland on July 26, and Northland on July 30.
Work health and safety regulator WorkSafe is investigating a further death last month in Waikato.
This excludes near misses involving quad trailers reported by industry body Safer Farms.
A campaign led by the organisation to make crush protection more available on quad bikes has since been oversubscribed by farmers.
Just over 150 farm businesses have received vouchers through the Safer Rides pilot scheme to help them buy protection devices.
About 20% of them have been taken up by Canterbury farmers. The incentive scheme encourages farmers to make their quad bikes safer by applying for a voucher worth about $400.
Safer Farms ambassador and farmer Lindy Nelson said there had been high demand for the safety initiative.
She said there was an urgent need to find ways to make quad bikes safer.
The focus on the crash protection devices (CPD) was a result of farmers speaking up about how roll-over bars had worked for them and saved lives, she said.
"For many farmers, quad bikes are an integral part of the job and installing a CPD on an existing vehicle can make it a safer option for you and anyone who is using that bike. Crush protection devices provide space underneath an upturned quad bike by spreading the bike’s weight. This protects the rider by creating space for survival or allowing the bike to roll off the occupant."
A spokesman said investigations were ongoing into the series of quad bike roll-overs that claimed four lives on farms in one month.
‘‘WorkSafe has since opened a further investigation into the tragic death of a child in a quad bike roll-over in Waikato on September 7. Our investigators are working to establish the circumstances and factors involved in each fatality."
The spokesman said farm vehicles presented a well-known risk to rural New Zealand, and WorkSafe again urged farmers to assess their terrain and tasks as a top priority before getting on a quad bike.
‘‘We strongly recommend installing a crush protection or roll-over protection device on quad bikes, always using a helmet, and ensuring the driver is competent."
The Safer Rides voucher scheme for crush protection was initiated by Rabobank with support from Anzco Foods, LIC, Craigmore Sustainables, PGG Wrightson, FMG Insurance, Silver Fern Farms and retailers Trax Equipment and Quadbar.
Mrs Nelson said an encouraging 40% of the first voucher allocation had already been redeemed by suppliers.
Demand had exceeded supply and those missing out could still get a 15% discount from one of the suppliers, she said.
"Farmers want to keep themselves and their people safe. There is a big job ahead to make safety devices more widely available for those who want it. We will continue working with our programme partners to implement a long-term plan."
From 2019 to 2023, there were 22 quad bike-related fatalities in New Zealand, with most involving roll-overs and steep grades.
WorkSafe said farm vehicle incidents were one of the top two causes of workplace deaths which was why agriculture was a priority sector under its new strategy.
