"I am always intrigued by the logic applied by the young rider that - if close to home, he doesn't wear a helmet."
I have encountered the same "logic" with seat belts, Andy. "If I'm only popping down to Tescos I don't bother with the belt"
Priceless!
As far as this incident goes, it seems the four were riding home from the pub (or wherever) in the dark (half past midnight) with no lights on an unregistered machine (and almost certainly uninsured). It may have been that the car driver was tanking it a bit, for which there is no excuse. Yes it was a birthday ("Four young people celebrating a Birthday - I doubt rules or laws even entered their minds.") but I celebrated plenty of birthdays (both mine and other people's) and the last thing we would have considered is bombing down a country lane in the dark on a quad bike.
Four young lives have been lost and that's tragic. But the four themselves must shoulder most of the blame. And don't forget the driver who hit this unlit, unregistered, uninsured, overloaded bike (which was probably being driven by an unlicensed and incompetent driver) is now facing an offence which carries a maximum sentence of fourteen years custody.