He died on a hunting weekend away at his father's property outside of Crookwell, near Goulburn, after his quad bike likely rolled down an embankment and pinned him underneath.

The 23-year-old, who had a high blood-alcohol concentration at the time, suffocated.

The tragic details emerged at the opening day of a coronial inquest into eight quad bike or side-by-side vehicle deaths, many of which involved the vehicle rolling and pinning the rider underneath.

In his opening address on Monday, counsel assisting Ian Bourke SC told the court evidence presented to the inquest will likely suggest many quad bike and side-by-side vehicle deaths occur due to "rider error", for example failing to wear a helmet, riding while affected by alcohol and allowing children to use adult-sized vehicles.

"However ... the frequency of these sorts of deaths, and the findings of a recent research project carried out by the University of New South Wales, suggest that more can and should be done, not only to improve the stability and safety of these vehicles, but also to consider [a number of changes to the way the vehicles are operated and sold]," Mr Bourke said.

Some of the measures to be considered include the introduction of an Australian Standard and a star rating system, similar to the ANCAP safety rating system for passenger and light commercial vehicles.

Other possible measures include the introduction of mandatory licensing, helmets and seat belts (for side-by-side vehicles), as well as better education campaigns, warning labels and restrictions placed on children using adult-sized vehicles.

The deaths of two children will be among those examined, including that of a nine-year-old boy who was not wearing a helmet or seatbelt when his side-by-side vehicle tipped on its side and pinned him underneath.

In another incident, a 13-year-old girl suffered fatal head injuries when the quad bike she was driving became airborne and crashed. She was not wearing a helmet at the time.

Three of her passengers aged 10, 11 and 15 were thrown or jumped from the bike and were not seriously hurt.

Between 2000 and 2010 there were 141 fatalities in Australia involving quad bikes and side-by-side vehicles, the vast majority of which involved quad bikes, the court heard.

Estimates suggest that in 2010 there were about 270,000 quad bikes and side-by-side vehicles in use in Australia.

Quoting the findings of a recent University of NSW Transport and Road Safety (TARS) division report into 109 of those 141 fatalities, Mr Bourke said 71 per cent involved a vehicle rolling over, about 75 per cent occurred on farms and 85 per cent of the deaths were males.

In 2011, a committee known as the Australian Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities concluded quad bike fatalities were a major workplace health and safety issue, the court heard.

The inquest continues before Deputy State Coroner Sharon Freund.