The Motor Industry Association agreed.
"All of the manufacturers are very clear: if you have an ATV that's set up for one rider, then it should only be one rider, and you shouldn't be carrying children on an adult-sized ATV," chief executive David Crawford said.
Despite regulations and safety advisories, more than 15 people have died in quad bike accidents over the past three years.
The victims included a 12-year-old and a 6-year-old.
"A lot of people do carry kids on them, and they just think, 'we'll just carry them if we go slow'," Crawford said.
His organisation also recommended that children under the age of 16 shouldn't be allowed to ride adult-sized quad bikes.
"If they do accidentally roll and they land on top of them, they can be quite heavy to lift off."
It was one of two serious Bay of Plenty crashes on New Year's Day in which children were injured.
The second, a head-on crash on SH2 in the Waiotahe area, near Opotiki, just before noon, injured three children and three adults.
One person was on life support in intensive care in Waikato Hospital.
Wylie yesterday said initial inquiries indicated a vehicle crossed the centre line into the path of two oncoming vehicles.
"This is not a great start to the year and is not the way we want to carry on," Wylie said.
"Despite previous road safety messages, drivers and riders are still failing to heed warnings."
