New rules for personal mobility devices
If you drive a vehicle, ride a motorcycle, are a pedestrian, bike rider, or personal mobility device rider these changes will affect you.
We are committed to improving the safety of personal mobility device use with new rules and fines which came into effect on 1 November 2022. These changes will affect different groups of road users and pedestrians.
Growth in use and access to personal mobility devices like e-scooters, e-skateboards, and similar devices, has highlighted some safety issues—particularly for vulnerable pedestrians including seniors and people with disability.
Our road rule changes are designed to keep all Queenslanders safer on footpaths, bike paths and roads.
Find out how you will be affected if you:
Personal mobility device riders—what you need to know
Speed limits
- Personal mobility device riders must comply with relevant speed limits based on where they are riding.
- Where there is no relevant speed signage, the default speed limits are:
- 12km/h on footpaths, shared paths and crossings
- 25km/h on permitted local roads and dedicated bike paths and bike lanes
- Other speed limit signage applies, for example:
- 10km/h in shared zones
- specific path speed limits (for example, the Goodwill Bridge is signed at 20km/h for all users).
Fines
Fines for speeding over the relevant speed limit:
- less than 14km/h = $143
- 14-20km/h = $215
- 20-30km/h = $359
- more than 30km/h= $575
Local governments and other infrastructure owners are responsible for setting relevant speed limits, other than the defaults.
Increased fines for offences
In addition to speeding, fines for some personal mobility device offences have increased:
- illegal use of a mobile phone = $1,078
- drinking alcohol while riding = $431
- riding on a prohibited road = $172
These increases reflect the risk of the behaviour and also ensure that the penalties for personal mobility device riders are in alignment with bicycle rules and fines.
Where to ride
Personal mobility device riders can continue to ride on:
- footpaths, shared paths, separated paths and bike paths
- local streets (with a speed limit of 50km/h or less and with no dividing line or median strip, or one-way streets with only 1 marked lane).
Personal mobility device riders will be able to ride in some bike lanes, including:
- bike lanes on roads with a speed limit of 50km/h or less
- bike lanes that are physically separated from other lanes of traffic (for example, by bollards or raised median strip).
Personal mobility device riders will be able to ride on the road in some limited circumstances to:
- avoid an obstruction on a path or bike lane for up to 50m
- bike lanes that are physically separated from other lanes of traffic (for example, by bollards or raised median strip).
- access a bicycle storage box at an intersection
- move out of the way of an emergency vehicle
- travel through an intersection between a road, bike lane or path that they are permitted to be in.
General road rules
- Personal mobility devices are now classified as vehicles and users to riders.
- Personal mobility device riders must obey most general road rules, in the same way as bike riders. This includes, for example, rules relating to traffic lights and signs, giving way and making turns. Personal mobility device riders may be fined the same as all other drivers and riders for disobeying these rules.
- Specific rules that impact personal mobility device riders, include:
- You must indicate when changing direction – either by using hand signals or indicators, if fitted to your device
- You must not lead an animal while riding the device, including tethering the animal to the device
- You must not ride more than 2 abreast on any road or path, unless overtaking
- You must not tow a trailer carrying passengers unless the rider is at least 16 years old. Any passenger in the trailer must be less than 10 years old and be wearing an approved bicycle helmet.
To align with bicycle rules, personal mobility device riders are now allowed to:
- use a mobile phone while stationary on a path or nature strip
- park their device on a path or nature strip (for example, when using a shared e-scooter scheme)
- ride diagonally across a scramble crossing pedestrian intersection
- cross the pedestrian side of a separated footpath
- ride on a safety zone near a tram stop.
Personal mobility device riders will be protected by give way rules when crossing a road at an intersection or on or entering a slip lane.
Signage
Personal mobility device riders must not ride past a personal mobility devices prohibited sign. This sign has been updated to feature an e-scooter but continues to apply to all personal mobility device types, including solo wheels and e-skateboards.
Safety equipment
- Personal mobility device riders are allowed to wear either an approved bicycle or motorcycle helmet.
- For personal mobility devices with handlebars (for example, e-scooters), the rider must ensure they have a bell or similar warning device fitted.
Drivers and motorcycle riders—what you need to know
- Drivers must give way to pedestrians, personal mobility device and bike riders crossing the road at an intersection or on or entering a slip lane.
- Drivers should expect to see personal mobility device riders using some bike lanes. These will include bike lanes on roads with a speed limit of 50km/h or less and all bike lanes that are physically separated from other lanes of traffic (for example, by bollards or raised median strip), regardless of speed.
- Drivers must leave the minimum passing distance when overtaking a personal mobility device rider on a road the same way you share the road with bike riders. This rule will apply regardless of whether the personal mobility device is permitted to be on the road. The minimum passing distance is:
- 1m on roads with a speed limit of 60km/h or less
- 1.5m on roads on road with a speed limit of 70km/h or more.
Pedestrians—what you need to know
- Interactions with personal mobility device riders on footpaths and shared paths will be safer as personal mobility device riders will be slowed down to 12km/h, unless signed otherwise.
- Personal mobility devices with handlebars must have a bell.
- Personal mobility device riders will still be required to give way to pedestrians on footpaths and shared paths and keep to the left.
- Pedestrians using rollerblades, roller skates or non-powered skateboards must keep out of the path of a bike or personal mobility device rider on a bike path or the bike side of a separated footpath.
Bike riders—what you need to know
- For consistency with personal mobility devices, bicycle rules have been clarified. Bike riders are allowed to:
- park their bike on a path or nature strip (for example, when using a shared e-bike scheme)
- ride diagonally across a scramble crossing pedestrian intersection
- cross the pedestrian side of a separated footpath
- ride on a safety zone near a tram stop
- Bike riders will be protected by more of the give way rules that apply to pedestrians, such as when crossing a road at an intersection or on or entering a slip lane.
- Bike riders should expect to share some bike lanes with personal mobility device riders. These will include bike lanes on roads with a speed limit of 50km/h or less and bike lanes that are physically separated from other lanes of traffic (for example, by bollards of raised median strip).
Our plan and where you will find it
Our changes were developed in consultation with key stakeholders, including personal mobility device riders, rental and retail suppliers, pedestrian and disability advocates, health and trauma specialists, police, state and local government as well as bicycle and motorist organisations.
Our plan is about how best to improve the safety for the community and use of these devices. In June 2022, after significant consultation with a range of stakeholders, we released our Personal Mobility Device Safety Action Plan.
You will see our education campaign "Fine, A Fine" from 23 October 2022 to promote these new and existing rules such as helmet use and no doubling. The campaign will feature on various social media channels and outdoor billboards.