Cyclists face stiff fines for not carrying photo ID or wearing a helmet

From 1 March 2016, adult cyclists in NSW will face a hefty fine of $319 for riding without a helmet and will be required to carry photo identification under new rules and penalties introduced by the State Government.

Those cyclists caught without photo identification in the next 12 months will get off with a warning but a penalty of $106 will be introduced from March 2017.  This is the same penalty that applies to motorists caught without a licence.

The penalties for adult cyclists caught breaking road rules will increase dramatically from next month, with many fines rising from $71 to more than $300 as follows:

• $319 fine for riding without a helmet
• $425 fine for running a red light
• $425 fine for riding dangerously
• $319 fine for holding onto a moving vehicle
• $425 fine for not stopping at a pedestrian crossing

Cyclists who ride on shared paths with pedestrians have been given a “new safety advisory recommendation” by the Government to “leave a gap of one metre, where practical, when passing a pedestrian on a shared path”.

There is a new law for motorists regarding their interaction on the roads with cyclists. They face a $319 fine and losing two demerit points if they fail to leave a one-metre buffer when overtaking cyclists when travelling less than 60km/hr. Above that speed, and motorists must give at least 1.5 metres of space to the cyclist they are overtaking.

Written by Mark Streeter

The Director of Streeterlaw, Mark has been practicing Law since 1994. He has attained his Masters of Law in 1999 and in 2006 was awarded his Specialist Accreditation in Commercial Litigation. Mark is a member of ARITA, a graduate of the AICD and a member of AICM. A member of STEP, Mark enjoys working in the area of Wills and Estates. In 2020 Mark is the Chair of STEP NSW.

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