Both states let you stay on the bike at a pedestrian crossing, but each sets different conditions. In Western Australia, a rider who enters from a connected path may roll across at 10 km/h (about 6 mph) or less, giving way to pedestrians. In Queensland, a rider at a zebra or children’s crossing must first come to a complete stop, then proceed slowly and safely, giving way to any pedestrian on the crossing. This guide covers those two states only, as their official pages read in October 2026. Elsewhere in Australia, check your own state or territory’s road authority first.
The two rules side by side
| Question | Western Australia | Queensland |
|---|---|---|
| Must you get off the bike? | No. Cyclists “no longer need to dismount” | No. You may ride across if you meet the listed conditions |
| Speed | 10 km/h or less | “Slowly and safely” after a stop; no km/h figure given |
| Stop first? | Not among the three conditions | Yes, at zebra and children’s crossings |
| Where you approach from | The connected path, not the road | No path condition listed |
| Who you give way to | All pedestrians | Any pedestrian on the crossing |
| Traffic-light crossings | No separate rule named | Wait for the green “walk” sign, then proceed slowly and safely |
| Oncoming riders | Not mentioned | Keep to the left of them |
| Official page last updated | 6 February 2026 | 1 July 2026 |
Western Australia: roll across from the path, at 10 km/h or less
The Road Safety Commission sets three conditions for riding across a pedestrian crossing: cross from the connected path and not the road, give way to all pedestrians, and slow to 10 km/h or less. It presents this as a change, saying cyclists “no longer need to dismount” and can simply ride across.
The path condition is the one riders miss. The page says the rule applies when you enter the crossing from the connected path rather than the road. A rider traveling along the road who swings onto the crossing is outside that wording, and the page does not say what applies to them. In that situation, getting off and walking is the cautious choice.
Ten kilometers per hour is hard to judge by feel, so learn what it feels like with a bike computer or phone app on a quiet path before you rely on it near people.
WA’s general path-sharing guidance treats “pedestrian” broadly: people using mobility scooters, wheelchairs, skates, skateboards and unicycles, and children under 12 on wheeled toys such as kick-scooters, trikes and pedal cars. That list sits outside the crossing rule, so treat it as a guide to who WA expects you to yield to. The page also says pedestrians, including mobility scooter and motorized wheelchair users, always have right of way.
Queensland: stop first, then proceed slowly
The Queensland Government’s bicycle rules treat three things as crossings: pedestrian crossings (zebra crossings), children’s crossings and signalized pedestrian crossings. At a zebra or children’s crossing you may ride across if you meet four conditions:
- Stop completely before you enter.
- Move off slowly and safely.
- Yield to any pedestrian who is on the crossing.
- Stay to the left of any riders coming the other way.
Crossings at traffic lights get a similar set with a different first step: wait for the green “walk” sign, then proceed slowly and safely, give way to any pedestrian on the crossing and keep left of oncoming riders. Separately, at an uncontrolled intersection you must give way to vehicles and other road users before you ride across.
Queensland puts no km/h figure on “slowly,” and its conditions are not tied to approaching from a path. The stop does the job a numeric limit does elsewhere: starting from zero makes “slowly” easy to meet and gives you a moment to read the crossing.
Who gives way
In both states, you do. WA says give way to all pedestrians, and Queensland says give way to any pedestrian on the crossing. The wording differs slightly, and neither page spells out how far the duty reaches toward someone waiting at the curb. As a working rule rather than a legal definition, treat anyone on the crossing, or stepping onto it, as having priority, and stop early.
The same principle runs through the path rules. Queensland says riders on footpaths and shared paths keep left and give way to all pedestrians, and it lists failing to give way to pedestrians on a footpath or shared path among common offenses specific to bicycle riders. WA notes that animals and children can be unpredictable and tells riders to slow down and ride to the conditions.
Do not assume drivers have seen you. WA’s own advice at driveways is that drivers must give way to cyclists, but cyclists should slow down to make sure they have been seen. The rider rules above say nothing about drivers’ duties at a crossing with a bike on it, so wait until approaching vehicles have actually stopped.
A routine that satisfies both
- Slow early and stop before the crossing, with a foot down if you need it for balance.
- Look both ways, and let anyone on or stepping onto the crossing finish first.
- In WA, check that you are coming from a connected path. If you are on the road, get off and walk.
- Roll across well under 10 km/h and keep left of any oncoming riders.
- Clear the crossing before you speed up again.
This sequence includes the stop Queensland asks for at a zebra or children’s crossing and stays under WA’s 10 km/h ceiling. At Queensland traffic-light crossings, wait for the green “walk” sign instead of relying on the stop alone. For the wider rules that apply on the road itself, see the basic rules of cycling on roads, and for planning in general, how to map a safe cycling route to work.
E-bikes, brakes and bells
WA says people riding legal e-bikes are generally subject to the same rules as bicycle riders, so the crossing rule applies to them as cyclists. Queensland’s page covers riders of a bicycle or an electrically power assisted cycle (EPAC), also known as an e-bike. A strong assist level or a throttle can make a restart from a stop surge forward faster than you intend, so drop to a low assist level, or switch assistance off, before the crossing. E-bike throttle vs pedal assist explains why the two behave differently.
Both states require a working brake and a warning device. WA says every bicycle needs at least one working brake and an effective warning device such as a bell or horn, and Queensland asks for at least one working brake and a working bell, horn or similar device every time you ride. WA also says to use your bell or horn to alert other path users before overtaking them, a gentle way to announce yourself near a crossing shared with walkers.
A stop or a 10 km/h crawl depends on brakes you can trust. If a lever feels spongy, reaches the handlebar before the bike slows, or the bike will not stop smoothly from walking pace, do not ride among pedestrians. Have a bike shop inspect the brakes first. The guide to servicing rim and disc brakes shows what a service involves, and the 5-minute pre-ride checklist catches problems before you leave.
Check the current wording
WA frames its crossing rule as new, and both pages carry the dates shown in the table. If you are unsure which rule covers a particular crossing, confirm the current wording on the official pages below. They take precedence over any summary, including this one.
Sources
- Western Australia Road Safety Commission: Bicycle riders
- Queensland Government: Bicycle road rules and safety
Last reviewed: October 2026.