Bicycles are a type of vehicle—when you ride a bicycle on a Queensland road, you have rights and responsibilities like all other road users.
When you ride a bicycle, you must obey the general road rules as well as the specific road rules for cyclists.
Penalties
There is no minimum age limit for the issuing of fines by the police.
Penalties common to cyclists and motorists
Cyclists who break the road rules will be given the same fines as motorists. Offences common to both cyclists and motorists include:
- failing to stop at a red traffic light ($330)
- disobeying a ‘no U turn’ sign at an intersection ($88)
- failing to stop at a ‘stop’ sign at an intersection ($330)
- exceeding the speed limit in a speed zone by less than 13km/h ($146).
If you commit an offence as a cyclist, you will receive a fine for the same amount as a motorist would, but you will not accumulate demerit points.
Penalties specific to cyclists
Penalties for offences that only apply to cyclists will also be increased.
Common offences specific to cyclists include:
- carrying more passengers than a bicycle is designed for ($110)
- failing to give way to pedestrians on a footpath or shared path ($110)
- failing to display a light at night or in hazardous weather conditions ($110).
Riding a bicycle
When you ride a bicycle, you must:
- sit with 1 leg on each side of the seat
- face forwards
- keep at least 1 hand on the handlebars.
Carrying people on a bicycle
You can carry another person if:
- the bicycle is designed to carry more than 1 person and has a passenger seat
- each person is wearing a helmet.
Signalling
You must use a hand signal when you turn right. To do this, extend your right arm out horizontally—at a right angle from the right side of the bicycle. Your hand should be open, with your palm facing forward.
Being towed on a bicycle
On Queensland roads, you must not:
- ride a bicycle that is being towed by another vehicle
- hold on to a moving vehicle while riding a bicycle.
Riding too close to a motor vehicle
You must keep at least 2m between you and the back of a motor vehicle when you follow that vehicle for over 200m.
Being a traffic hazard
You must avoid being a traffic hazard at all times—do not ride into the path of a driver or pedestrian.
Keeping left and overtaking
When you ride, you must:
- keep to the far left of a road that is not a multi-lane road. On a multi-lane road, you can take up any position within the lane
- ride to the left of any oncoming vehicle
- not overtake another vehicle on the left if that vehicle is turning left or indicating they will turn left
- give way to any vehicle that is driving in front of you and indicating they will turn left
- not overtake another vehicle on the left if it is not safe to do so
- not ride with more than 2 riders side by side unless you are overtaking
- ride within 1.5m of the other rider if you are travelling side by side with someone.
Bicycle equipment
Bicycle helmets
When you ride a bicycle, you must wear an Australian Standard-approved bicycle helmet. You must securely fit and fasten it.
If you carry a passenger, they must also wear an approved helmet, securely fitted and fastened. However, if they are a paying passenger on a 3- or 4-wheeled bicycle, they do not have to wear a helmet.
You do not need to wear a helmet if you have a doctor’s certificate stating that, for a specific amount of time, you cannot wear a helmet:
- for medical reasons
- because of a physical characteristic that makes it unreasonable for you to wear one.
If you have a doctor’s certificate, you must carry it with you when you ride without a helmet.
You also do not need to wear a helmet if you are a member of a religious group and are wearing a headdress customarily by your group, that makes it impractical to wear a helmet.
Everyday bicycle equipment
Every time you ride, your bicycle must have:
- at least 1 working brake
- a working bell, horn or a similar warning device.
Night time and unsafe weather bicycle equipment
If you ride at night or in weather conditions that make it difficult to see, you must display (either on the bicycle or on you):
- a white light (flashing or steady) that can be clearly seen at least 200m from the front of the bicycle
- a red light (flashing or steady) that can be clearly seen at least 200m from the back of the bicycle
- a red reflector that can be clearly seen at least 50m from behind the bicycle—when a vehicle’s headlights shine on it.
Trailers and loads
Riding with a person in a bicycle trailer
You can tow a child in or on a bicycle trailer if:
- you are 16 years or older
- the child is under 10 years old and is wearing an approved helmet that is securely fitted and fastened
- the bicycle trailer can safely carry the child.
Carrying a load on a bicycle
You can carry a load on your bicycle. If you choose to carry a load, you must:
- attach the load to your bicycle in a way that does not make the bicycle unstable
- make sure the load does not stick out from the bicycle—so that it does not hurt anyone, block the path of other drivers or pedestrians, or cause any damage (for example, to other vehicles)
- avoid hanging things off the handlebars.
Lanes, paths and crossings
Riding in a bicycle lane on a road
When riding on Queensland roads, you should:
- always use a bicycle lane (if there is one), unless it is impractical to do so
- never ride in a bicycle lane on the wrong side of the road (towards oncoming traffic).
Riding on the road shoulder
You can ride on or across a continuous white edge line on a bicycle. However, you must give way to vehicles on the road when moving back onto the road across the continuous white edge line.
Special purpose lanes
A special purpose lane is a marked lane, or part of a marked lane, including:
- bicycle lanes
- bus lanes
- tram lanes
- transit lanes.
You can ride your bicycle in these special purpose lanes.
Riding across a road at a crossing
You cannot ride your bicycle across a road on a pedestrian crossing (Zebra) or children's crossing—you must get off your bicycle and walk it across the road.
You can ride across pedestrian crossings situated at traffic lights if you:
- proceed slowly and safely
- give way to any pedestrian on the crossing
- keep to the left of any oncoming bicycle rider or person who is using a personal mobility device.
Riding on a separated path
On a separated path, you can only ride on the side that is for cyclists. The other side is for walkers, joggers and runners. The separated path sign will show you which side of the path you must ride on. You must always ride to the left of bicycle riders coming toward you.
Riding on a shared path
On a shared path, you share the space with walkers, joggers and runners.
You must:
- keep left and give way to all pedestrians
- always ride to the left of bicycle riders coming toward you.
Riding on a footpath
You can ride on Queensland footpaths unless there is a 'No bicycles' sign.
If you choose to ride on a footpath, you must:
- give way to pedestrians
- ride in a way that does not annoy or endanger people
- always ride to the left of bicycle riders coming toward you.
‘No bicycle’ signs and markings
You cannot ride on a road or footpath where signs or road markings ban bicycles.
Bicycle crossing lights
At bicycle crossing lights, you must:
- stop before reaching the light (if the light is red)
- only cross when the light is green
- if the lights change to yellow or red while you are still in the intersection, cross using the safest, most direct route.
Roundabouts and intersections
Roundabouts
At 2 lane roundabouts, motor vehicle drivers who want to turn right must enter the roundabout and turn from the right lane.
As a cyclist, you can enter the roundabout and turn right from the left or right lane.
If you choose to turn right from the left lane, you must give way to any vehicle that crosses your path to leave the roundabout.
Bicycle storage areas
A bicycle storage area is a section of the road, close to an intersection with traffic lights, where you can wait (for the traffic lights to change) in front of the stopped motor vehicles. They are usually painted green with white bicycle symbols.
When you use a bicycle storage area, you must:
- enter the area from a bicycle lane (unless it is impractical to do so)
- give way to anyone that is already in the bicycle storage area
- give way to any vehicle entering the area when there is a green or yellow light in front of the bicycle storage area.
Hook turns
Hook turn storage box
A hook turn storage box is an area marked on the road within an intersection. It shows you where to go if you are performing a hook turn.
Performing a hook turn
You can turn right at an intersection using a hook turn (unless prohibited by a 'No hook turn by bicycles’ sign). The way you should do this depends on whether or not the intersection has traffic lights.
If the intersection does not have traffic lights, you should:
- keep to the far left side of the road and move forward through the intersection
- pause and give way to motorists moving through the intersection
- when the road is clear, move forward across the road.
If the intersection has traffic lights, you should:
- move forward through the intersection from the bicycle lane on a green light
- stop in the box in the opposite corner, and turn your bicycle to the right (in the direction of the marked arrow). If there is no line marking for hook turns, you should stop where you are clear of traffic. You will now be facing a red light
- when the light turns green, move forward through the intersection into the bicycle lane ahead.
Some intersections will have line markings for you to use for hook turns.
Motorists and hook turns
When stopped at an intersection, motorists may find cyclists stopped in a hook turn storage box in front of them. When the lights turn green, motorists should be aware of those cyclists as they move through the intersection as part of their hook turn.
