The death of a 10-year-old Wairarapa boy is "a wake-up call, if ever we needed one" about the danger of quad bikes, Chief Coroner Judge Neil MacLean says.
Shane White was found by his father trapped under a quad bike at a Kahutara Road address in South Wairarapa on Wednesday.
CPR performed at the scene failed to revive the boy.
"A number of coroners have said, and I endorse, the principle ... that kids and quad bikes don't mix," Judge MacLean told NZ Newswire.
"They're not toys and not for children: that is you need appropriate training, helmets are a good idea and you should only use the machine for the purpose it is designed. It is not an all-terrain vehicle."
Judge MacLean said coroners haven't gone as far as calling for children to be banned from riding quad bikes, and he wasn't sure how many of the four to six deaths a year in New Zealand on quad bikes involve children.
"The deaths are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of quad bike accidents," he said.
"When you talk to any group of farmers, you hear stories of near misses."
Coroner Brandt Shortland has been appointed to hold inquests into four or five quad bike deaths around the country to see if there are common themes and to make recommendations to prevent further tragedies.
Wairarapa police response manager Acting Senior Sergeant Rob Rackliff says police are continuing their inquiries into Shane's death on behalf of the coroner.
"Police and Victim Support are continuing to provide assistance to Shane's family at this sad time," he said.
ACC says there are about 35 quad bike accidents on farms each day. It is recommended children not ride full-sized quad bikes until they are at least 16.
News home