When you ride a bicycle or an electric powered wheeled recreational device or a personal mobility device like a rideable, you must wear an Australian Standard (AS) approved bicycle helmet. You must securely fit and fasten it. An approved bicycle helmet means a helmet that complies with AS 2063 or AS/NZS 2063.
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 worn by your group, that makes it impractical to wear a helmet.
Every time you ride, your bicycle must have:
- at least 1 working brake
- a working bell, horn or a similar warning device.
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.
There is no law that prohibits the attachment of a camera to a bicycle helmet, if the helmet remains compliant with the above standards and is an approved attachment (according to the helmet manufacturer).
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 is unlikely to fall from the bicycle.
If you’ve suffered a cycling accident, the injuries can impact your life in many ways. One way to help your recovery is to make a claim for compensation. GC Law have expert accident claim lawyers who work on a no win no fee basis.
