Bicycles
- Can I overtake to the left?
- Can I ride across a crossing?
- Can I ride on a road or footpath?
- What are the rules about bicycle trailers?
- What are the rules about bicycle storage areas?
Can I overtake to the left?
Bicycles can overtake to the left of a vehicle unless: - the vehicle is signalling to turn left
- it is unsafe to do so.
A cyclist must give way to a vehicle that is signalling to turn left and driving in front of the cyclist.
Section 141(2) of the Queensland Road Rules applies.
Can I ride across a crossing?
No. Cyclists are not permitted to ride across a road on a pedestrian crossing, children's crossing, or marked foot crossing. This includes pedestrian crossings situated at traffic lights.
Cyclists should dismount and wheel their bikes across the crossing.
Section 248 of the Queensland Road Rules applies.
Can I ride on a road or footpath?
Bicycles are permitted to travel on the road, and also footpaths in certain circumstances.
Cyclists must use a bicycle lane unless it is impractical to do so.
When riding on a footpath or shared path, the rider must keep to the left and must give way to any pedestrian on the path.
Cyclists must not ride on a footpath where there is a NO BICYCLES sign.
Local governments have laws that may override the above regulation.
Part 15 — Additional Rules for Bicycle Riders in the Queensland Road Rules applies.
What are the rules about bicycle trailers?
A bicycle rider is prohibited from towing a person in a bicycle trailer unless:
- the rider is 16 years old, or older; and the person in or on the bicycle trailer is under 10 years old
- the bicycle trailer can safely carry the person
- the person in or on the trailer is wearing an approved bicycle helmet securely fitted and fastened on the person's head.
Section 257 of the Queensland Road Rules applies.
What are the rules about bicycle storage areas?
A bicycle storage area is an area of road close to an intersection with traffic lights to allow cyclists to wait at the lights in front of vehicles stopped at the intersection. Bicycle storage areas are usually painted green and would have white bicycle symbols painted on the road.
Special rules apply to a bicycle rider when using a bicycle storage area, including:
- You must enter a bicycle storage area from a bicycle lane (unless it is impractical to ride in the bicycle lane)
- You must give way to any vehicle that is in the bicycle storage area
- Where there is a green or yellow light in front of the bicycle storage area, you must give way to any vehicle entering the area.
Sections 247A and 247B of the Queensland Road Rules apply.
Got a question about the new bicycle road rules? View our detailed General Road Rules and Amendments – questions and answers (PDF**, 48KB) document.
**While this department has taken every possible precaution with the creation of these files, they are downloaded and used at your own risk. Adobe Reader is needed to open and print Portable Document Format (PDF) files and is free to download from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html. Various tools to enable access to these files for people using a screen reader can be found at http://access.adobe.com. Further information is available from the "Help with downloading, reading and printing PDF".
Last updated 09 September 2009
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