VICTORIA'S coroner has told quad bike manufacturers to never again market or describe them as all-terrain-vehicles.

John Olle last week delivered his findings after an inquest into several deaths in the past eight years involving the vehicles in Victoria and Tasmania.

Mr Olle said that to describe a quad bike as an all-terrain-vehicle was a "serious overstatement of its capabilities".

He said while manuals warned of the bikes' limitations, the community had a false perception that quad bikes were stable, robust machines with "go-anywhere" capability. Strict constraints should now be placed on the sale of ATVs, Mr Olle found.

FarmSafe Australia figures show that about 12 people die every year in Australia from ATV-associated incidents.

Most of those occur in the agriculture and horticulture industries.

Mr Olle said anyone buying a quad bike should first have to complete a certified training course.

He said WorkSafe, in conjunction with Victorian and Tasmanian consumer affairs authorities, FarmSafe and quad bike distributors, must develop a certified training program.

And, he said, WorkSafe must ensure that "workplaces, in particular, farms, do not permit the operation of quad bikes by persons who have not completed a certified training program".

The inquest found quad bikes were often used on terrain and in applications for which they were not designed.

"Carrying or towing a load on hilly or rough terrain is a prime example of operating a quad bike beyond its capability," Mr Olle said.

WorkSafe Victoria executive director John Merritt said his organisation would consider Mr Olle's recommendations in the next few months.

"This inquest came about as a result of a terrible spate of fatalities in the past two years," Mr Merritt said.

"WorkSafe's position on this is clear. It believes that a quad bike is like any piece of farming equipment and those who use them need the appropriate training to be able to use them safely.

"That includes knowing the limitations of these bikes which, contrary to their names, are not all-terrain vehicles."

Mr Merritt said WorkSafe would work with farm groups, manufacturers, retailers and all other relevant parties to ensure that "as far as practically possible", no other Victorian community "suffers the loss of a loved one because of these vehicles".

Almost 20,000 all-terrain vehicles, or four-wheeled motorbikes, were sold in Australia last year.