UPDATE: ALMOST one in five all-terrain vehicle dealers will sell crush protection devices in their stores from this week.

The group, the Australian Quad Distributors Association, was formed yesterday.

And in direct opposition to the major body representing ATV manufacturers, the new group has come out in support of crush protection.

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries has long argued crush protection does more harm than good and its members include major manufacturers like Honda.

But the breakaway group, which believes it has about 10 per cent of market share, openly supports crush protection and will offer it at its members stores from today on.

AQDA chairman Ken Higgens from ODES Australia said the organisation was formed because members, all Australian-owned companies, wanted action on ATV safety.

"This was born out of members frustration at the quad industry's delay in implementing guidelines and regulations to create an industry standard to improve the safety of quads," he said.

"Decisions have been made between other peak bodies but progress has not delivered results."

The new group has pledged to act on improving the design of ATVs to make them safer, and will support crush protection from now on.