Disability Safety

Before You Ride

• Always wear your helmet (click the strap under your chin).
• Check your bike: brakes work, tyres are pumped, chain works, light and bell works.
• Wear bright clothes.
• Put on sunscreen.

On the Road

• Use bike lanes when you can.
• Ride on the left side of the road.
• Use hand signals to turn.
• Stop at red lights and crossings.
• If riding at night, use your lights.

Be Alert

• Watch for parked cars and doors opening.
• Listen for traffic and sirens.
• Never wear earphones when riding.
• Watch out for holes or bumps.
• Use your bell only when there is danger.

What If Something Goes Wrong?

• If you fall, move to the side and check if you are okay.
• If your chain comes off, walk your bike and call for help.
• If a car honks or gets too close, stop safely and breathe.
• If your brake does not work, try to slow down, don’t pedal and find something soft to help you stop the bike.

Practice Tip: Ride with someone until you feel confident.

Key Legal Rules

• Helmet always.
  A bicyclist must wear an approved helmet, fit properly and fastened.
• Bike = vehicle.
  You must obey the same road rules as other vehicles (stop signs, traffic lights, give-way, etc.)
• Use bike lanes if present (unless impractical).
  Where there is a marked bicycle lane in your direction, you must use it unless there’s good reason not to.
• Where there’s no bike lane, keep left.
  But also avoid hazards like debris, parked cars, drain grates, etc.
• Hand signals.
  You must signal when turning right or merging to the right. Signalling early (around 30 m before turn) is encouraged.
• No riding on pedestrian crossings.
  You should dismount and walk your bike across, unless there’s a specific bicycle signal that allows riding over that crossing.
• Mobile phones.
  You can only use a phone hands-free (i.e. fixed mount). You can’t hold or touch your phone while riding.
• Lights, reflectors, bell/horn.
  At night (or in poor visibility), you need a white front light, red rear light, and red rear reflector. Your bike must also have a bell or horn.
• Bus lanes, tram lanes, “buses-only” lanes.
  You can use a bus lane (if it’s not “buses only” or tram-only). But be extra alert near intersections where vehicles enter/exit.
• Tram tracks.
  You can’t ride along tramway lanes (i.e. “tram only” parts) — doing so can get you fined.
• Right turn (hook turns and roundabouts).
  There are special rules (hook turns in some intersections). In multi-lane roundabouts, take care with positioning and give way rules.
• Illegal to hold or be towed by a moving vehicle.
  You can’t hold onto a moving car or be towed.
• Footpath rules.
  If you are 16 or older and not supervising a child <16, you generally can’t ride on a footpath. 
  On shared paths/footpaths, you must keep left, give way to pedestrians, and slow when overtaking.
• E-bikes
  They must be pedal-assist (i.e. motor can’t be sole power). Rules for e-bikes are in NSW’s “Bicycles and e-bikes” section.