About cycling

Cyclist responsibilities

Your responsibilities as a cyclist are to:

• Keep left
• Use the correct lane
• Pass other vehicles safely
• Use hand signals
• Be safe and courteous when cycling in groups
• Share the road and paths
• Expect hazards and ride to avoid them

Keep left

Road rules state that road users should keep as ‘near as practicable’ to the left side of the roadway. This means that you should keep left, but not to the extent that it compromises your safety.

• Ride in a position where you have a good view, and where other road users can see you. Cycling in a straight line (ie not swerving in and out) will help other road users predict your movements.
• Never ride so closely to the kerb or edge of the road that you are in danger of cycling into the kerb or off the road.
• Never ride in the ‘door zone’ (the space where car doors open) when cycling past parked cars. Allow at least one metre between you and a parked car.
• If the road is too narrow to safely allow vehicles to pass, you are in danger of being run off the road or hit by a passing car. In this situation it is acceptable to move further out into the path of traffic to prevent other users from passing you. If you do have to move further out, remember to find a gap, signal your intentions and move across when it is safe. Once you have moved out try to ride as quickly as you can and allow the following traffic to pass when the road widens.
  
  It is recommended that young or inexperienced cyclists avoid narrow roads where cars travel quickly.

Use the correct lane

Before reaching an intersection, or when turning, you need to get into the correct lane. Inexperienced cyclists may choose to stop and get off in a safe place before reaching busy intersections, and walk their cycle to where they want to go.

Pass other vehicles safely

When passing moving vehicles, pass on the right unless lanes allow passing on the left, or when other vehicles are turning right. Hang back if you see a truck turning left, because cyclists are often not seen by truck drivers.

When riding past queues of stationary or slow moving vehicles, your visibility will be reduced and turning cars may not see you. Slow down and be particularly careful when there is a gap in the queue - the driver leaving the gap may have left it for a turning vehicle.

Use hand signals

Hand signals must be used at least three seconds before:

• moving into traffic
• stopping
• turning left
• turning right
• moving from a lane.

Roundabouts

You must use hand signals before reaching a roundabout and at the roundabout. Once you are in the roundabout you may need both hands on the handlebars to keep control of the cycle, so it is okay to only indicate when you are able. For more information on indicating at roundabouts see Roundabouts.

There are also other situations where it will be difficult to use hand signals because you may need both hands on the handlebars, eg on very rough roads or in strong winds. In these cases you should stop and get off in a safe place and walk your cycle to where you want to go.

Hand signal procedure

1. Well before you need to signal, check behind to see when a good time to move or stop would be (keep both your hands on the handlebars).
2. Do the hand signal while slowly counting ‘one-thousand and one; one-thousand and two; one-thousand and three’. Then return your hand to the handlebars.
3. Check that other road users have seen you and understand your hand signal. Then carefully make your move, or stop. If you are able to make eye contact with other road users, this will help to ensure that they have seen you.

Be safe and courteous when cycling in groups

General considerations for group cycling

Group cycling can be a very enjoyable experience provided you know how to ride in groups. The ‘rules’ that should be followed are listed below:

• Each cyclist should know the route and where the next stopping/meeting place is (meeting places should not be too close to intersections).
• There must never be more than two cyclists cycling next to one another. When the road is narrow or vehicles cannot pass, everyone should cycle in single file.
• Pass other moving cyclists and motor vehicles on the right, if they are in the same lane as you.

• Everyone should communicate. Let others know that you are passing, stopping, slowing down or turning. Hazards need to be pointed out to cyclists behind. If a motor vehicle driver is having difficulties passing the group, the cyclists at the back should let the cyclists at the front know.
• When following a vehicle, you must have enough clear space to stop, should the vehicle in front stop suddenly. The exception is where cyclists are participating in council-approved cycle events that allow cyclists to closely follow one another (typically referred to as ‘drafting’ or ‘paceline cycling’). When riding closely, any sudden movements by any cyclist in the paceline can result in serious crashes. A good way to tell if you are leaving a safe distance between you and the cyclist in front is to use the two second rule, described in the box below.
• Everyone should ride smoothly with no sudden stops, starts or turns. If something unexpected happens, you should try your best to continue cycling smoothly and at the same time let the rest of the group know that a stop is needed.
• Advanced cyclists entering events may wish to practice their drafting skills. This skill takes time to master and should only be learnt with other experienced riders present. Your local cycling club or shop may offer courses or provide group rides with other experienced riders.

Adults cycling with children

When cycling with young children, adults should either lead or be at the back of the group, depending on the children's experience and the number of adults. If there is just one adult to supervise a group of young inexperienced riders, riding at the back of the group is best. Where there are two adults, one should lead and the other can observe and protect the group from behind.

Adults should make sure the group doesn't get too spread out and should ensure that when turning at intersections the whole group can make the move safely. Depending on the ability of the children, adults may decide that the group needs to stop in a safe place, get off and walk their cycles across difficult intersections.

Using roads and paths

Wherever you ride, you are sharing space with other road users. Understanding and respecting the needs of other users ensures everyone is safe and comfortable while they are on the road or on paths.

Sharing with motor vehicles

Be alert and ride safely.

• Use cycle lanes and cycle paths if they are available.
• Keep to the left side of the road when possible.
• Ride in a straight line. If you have to swerve to avoid something, try not to veer too far off line.
• Obey road rules, signs and signals.
• Only ride next to another cyclist if it safe to do so, otherwise ride in single file. It is illegal for three or more cyclists to ride next to one another.
• Always ride so that you can control your cycle and are able to stop suddenly if you have to.
• Try to be as visible as possible. Wear brightly coloured or reflective clothing and use lights at night.

• Be aware that drivers of other vehicles may not be able to see you if you are in their ‘blind spot’. Cyclists know if they are in a blind spot if they can't see the driver's eyes in the vehicle's rear view mirrors.
• If an ambulance, fire engine or police car has its siren on, you should move off the road or as far to the left as possible. Watch for motor vehicles that are also trying to move out of the way.
• Thank other road users when you can. For example, let them know you are happy they waited for you by waving, smiling, or giving them a ‘thumbs up’.
• Respect other road users and be courteous. When it's appropriate, wait for them, give them space or wave them through.
• Be ready for the unexpected - ride defensively. The most common mistakes people driving cars, trucks or buses, make are:
  • not giving way
  • passing you and then turning left straight in front of you
  • coming from the opposite direction and turning right in front of you
  • driving too close to you when they are overtaking
  • opening their doors wide enough to hit you when you are cycling past
  • not checking properly before coming out of driveways or parking places
  • cutting corners
  • driving too fast for the conditions
  • trying to be nice by letting you turn at times when it's not necessarily safe for you to make the turn. If this happens don't make a move until you can see that the way is clear in all the lanes you need to cross. Wave them on if you want to.

What drivers would like cyclists to know

• Drivers expect cyclists to obey the road rules and to be courteous, ie using hand signals and not cycling through red traffic signals.
• Because cars travel fast it can be difficult to stop them quickly and safely - so responding to hazards on the road is normally harder for the driver of a motor vehicle than for a cyclist.
• Unpredictable cycling behaviour can be unsettling - try not to swerve or change direction suddenly.
• Drivers can feel delayed by cyclists.

Sharing with pedestrians

• Where there are a lot of pedestrians, slow down and be prepared to stop quickly.
• Be careful when cycling past parked vehicles or stopped buses, as pedestrians may suddenly appear.
• Slow down and be ready to stop for any pedestrians on, or stepping onto, a crossing. See Using different types of pedestrian crossings for more information on legal stopping requirements at different types of pedestrian crossings.
• If you want to use a pedestrian crossing to cross the road you must get off your cycle and walk. The exception is at crossings with special traffic signals for cyclists - here you may cycle across the crossing when the signal shows a green cycle symbol. See Using shared pedestrian and cycle crossings for more information on these types of crossings.
• Shared paths (paths that allow pedestrians and cyclists) have their own set of rules - for more information on these, see Shared paths.

What pedestrians would like cyclists to know

• If you are on a footpath with your cycle you should be walking with it, unless you are delivering mail or are cycling a wheeled recreation device that has a wheel diameter less than 355 millimetres (normally a tricycle or small child's bicycle).
• Pedestrians often can't hear cyclists approaching, especially from behind or to the side. Call out politely or use a bell if you have one.
• Children, especially those under the age of nine, may have poor road skills. Be very careful when cycling near them.
• Until children reach 15 years their vision is not fully developed. This limits their ability to see easily to their sides and can mean they may not see you until you are in their direct line of vision.
• Children have trouble judging the speed of moving cyclists, so they may try to cross the road even if they do see you.
• Some people may have disabilities that prevent them from reacting or moving quickly.

Shared paths

It is normally illegal to ride on footpaths, unless delivering mail or when cycling a wheeled recreational device that has a wheel diameter less than 355 millimetres (normally a tricycle or small child's bicycle), but some councils have created shared paths that both cyclists and pedestrians can use.

Sometimes the shared path is sign posted to let you know what type of user has priority, and in this case, you need to give way to the user who has priority. When a shared path does not have priority signs, you should give way to the slower user. However, if you encounter a horse on a shared path it is sensible to give way to the horse, as they are easily startled.

All users on shared paths are required by law to use shared paths fairly and safely, and to try and not hold anyone up.

If you are riding on a shared path you should:

• keep left
• let pedestrians know you are there by politely calling out or ringing a bell when you are approaching from behind them
• pass on the right, when possible - unless the pedestrians are on the right in which case pass them in the safest way you see fit
• ride defensively and cycle at a speed that does not put others at risk
• look out for traffic going in and out of driveways - vehicles from driveways do need to give way to those on the shared path, but often drivers may not expect fast traffic on the shared path
• be careful at intersections and give way to motor vehicles if you need to.

Expect hazards and ride to avoid them

Being a safe cyclist means being aware of hazards and being prepared for them. In this section we have listed hazards you may encounter while cycling. Read these lists and think about:

• where and when you might encounter these hazards
• what might happen
• what you would do if any one of these hazards occurred suddenly
• how you might avoid the hazards.

Plan your trip with the hazards you might encounter in mind. When cycling, continuously check for hazards.

Consider taking a cyclist skills course. Research has shown that after training, cyclists have five times fewer injuries than non-trained cyclists.

Road surface hazards

• Debris - gravel, rocks, leaves etc.
• Things that have been thrown or dropped on the road.
• Glass.
• Oil leaks from cars.
• Drains without covers, or covers with grills parallel to your direction of travel.
• Deep gutters.
• Roads with a steep side slope.
• Railway lines.
• Potholes and uneven road surfaces particularly on the side of the road.
• Gaps or steep ridges between the tarseal and the gutter.
• Sudden patches of gravelled road.
• Metal plates in wet weather.
• Shiny tarseal in wet weather.
• Paint markings in wet weather.
• Paint markings, reflectors and rumble strips that have very thick sides.
• Some road features, such as built-out sections of footpath that narrow the road and assist pedestrians crossing.

Animal hazards

• Animals sometimes run out onto the road.
• Some dogs chase cyclists - if they do this they can get caught up in your cycle and cause injury to you and themselves.

Other road users' hazards

• Pedestrians can step onto the road without looking.
• People in parked vehicles may open their doors suddenly in front of cyclists.
• Sometimes drivers may not look for, or expect, a cyclist and in some cases they may not see you even when they do look because you are in their ‘blind spot’. You can tell if you are in a vehicle's blind spot if you cannot see the driver's face in the vehicle's rear-view mirrors.
• Vehicles often reverse out of driveways quickly.
• Vehicles often pull out in front of cyclists. Pay careful attention to buses around bus stops.
• Large vehicles turning can be a hazard. They are bigger, so they need more room to turn.
• Large vehicles passing at high speed can create wind which can make it difficult to control your bicycle.

Weather hazards

• Gusts of wind.
• Sun glare - when the sun is bright and low on the horizon, drivers may not be able to see you. If the sun is low in the sky, either in the morning or the evening, drivers driving towards the sun may not be able to see you because of glare.
• Rain, ice, or snow, make roads wet and slippery and make it hard to see and be seen.

Cyclists' own behaviour

Cyclists must not:

• text or talk on a mobile phone while cycling.

Cyclists also need to avoid:

• drinking alcohol or using illegal substances before or while cycling
• cycling too fast for the conditions
• using portable music players (you need to be able to hear traffic when cycling).

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Last updated: 6 April 2010