Bicycle rules, standards and safety

Before you head out for a ride, it’s a good idea to do a quick maintenance check to ensure your bike is in safe working order, especially if it hasn’t been ridden for a while. 

This is as simple as ABC – Air, Brakes, Chain.

Watch the short video to see how quick and easy it is to do an ABC Bike Check on your bike today. 

If you detect any issues, or are unsure of anything, it is recommended that you visit your local bike shop for advice.

All-age cycling on footpaths is legal in Western Australia. Anyone can cycle on a footpath, but there are some conditions. See the Road Safety Commission website for more details.

Before starting to ride, bicycle riders should be familiar with bicycle standards and equipment, legislation for use of shared paths, roads, intersections and footpaths.

A full list of the legislations can be found in the Road Traffic (Authorisation to Drive) Act 2008 and Road Traffic (Authorisation to Drive) Regulations 2014.

A bicycle is a legal vehicle, with two or more wheels, that is built to be propelled by human power through a belt, chain or gears. Electric bicycles, penny farthings and tricycles are considered bicycles.

An electric bike, or e-bike are they are commonly known, is a bicycle fitted with an auxiliary motor(s) to provide assistance to the rider in propelling the vehicle.

There are two main types of e-bikes:

1. Power Assisted Pedal Cycles (PAPCs), which may have a motor up to 200 watts; and,
2. Pedelecs (complying with European Standard EN 15194), which may have a motor up to 250 watts.

The power assistance for both PAPCs and pedelecs must cut out at 25 km/h.

Vehicles not considered bicycles are wheelchairs, wheeled recreational devices like Segways, wheeled toys like scooters, skateboards or skates, or any vehicle with an auxiliary motor capable of generating a power output over 250 watts (whether or not the motor is operating).

There are standard requirements that need to be met before a bicycle can be considered legal for use on public roads and shared paths.

For the rules and regulations related to bicycles including e-bikes, visit the Road Safety Commission cycling web pages.

Western Australians continue to embrace eRideables, including eScooters, for transport and recreation.

The WA Government introduced eRideable legislation, reflecting the national approach to these devices, in December 2021. 

eRideables covered under this legislation include:

• electric scooters (eScooters);
• electric unicycles;
• electric skateboards; 
• electric roller-skates; 
• one-wheel electric scooters; and 
• hoverboards. 

The following are not eRideables and are governed by their own regulations under the Road Traffic Code 2000: 

• eBicycles (power-assisted pedal cycles);
• segways (electric personal transporters);
• motorised wheelchairs and motorised; and 
• scooters of less than 200w.

For eRideable rules and tips on safe and sensible riding, visit the Road Safety Commission website.