Road rules

For free and confidential legal advice about this topic, please contact us here.

This page contains answers to the most common questions young people ask us about road rules.  It is not a full list of road rules! 

Do I have to wear a seatbelt?

Yes.  

It’s against the law to ride in a car as a passenger without a seatbelt if you’re 16 years old or older. If you’re 16 years old or older and you’re caught riding in a car without a seatbelt, you could be fined $317.14. If you are under the age of 16 it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that you are wearing a properly fastened seatbelt.

If you’re under 16, it’s still a good idea to wear a seat belt.  With your seatbelt on, you’re 10 times more likely to survive a crash.  

It’s also against the law to drive a car without a seatbelt.  If you’re caught, you can be fined $317.14 and lose up to 3 demerit points.   If any of the passengers you’re driving aren’t wearing a seatbelt, you could be fined as much as $317.14 per passenger not wearing a seatbelt and lose 3 demerit points.

Bicycles

Do I have to wear a helmet?

Yes, it’s against the law if you don’t wear a helmet on a bicycle.  It doesn’t matter if you are riding the bike yourself, carrying someone with you who isn’t riding or riding on a tandem bike with someone else.  If you’re caught, both the rider and the passenger could be fined $194.33.

For more information on staying safe when riding a bike, check out Bicycle Road Rules A to Z on the Victorian government website.

Can I ride on the footpath?

It depends. If you’re under 12 and you’re riding alone or with an adult, you can ride on the footpath. When you do this, you have to keep to the left.  Remember, if you’re riding on the footpath, you have to give way to any pedestrians.  If you break these rules, you could be fined $466.38!

Motorbikes

Do I have to wear a helmet?

Yes, it’s against the law if you don’t wear a helmet.  This rule is the same for both drivers and riders on a motorbike.  If you’re caught you could be fined $310.92. If you’re the driver and you or your passenger are not riding with a helmet, you could lose up to 3 demerit points.

Other rules for motorcyclists on L and P plates

There are also special rules about riding a motorcycle if you’re an L or P plater.  Please check out our Licences page for more information about these rules.  

For more information on staying safe on a motorbike, check out the Victorian Rider Handbook.

Scooters

Do I have to wear a helmet?

Yes, it’s against the law if you are driving or are a passenger on a scooter and you’re not wearing a helmet. You could be fined $194.33.

Other rules

There are also special rules about riding a scooter if you’re an L or P plater.  Please check out our Licences page for more information about these rules.

There are also other rules that apply to all scooter riders, even those on your full licence  You can check these out at this factsheet from the Victorian Government.

Mobile phones

If you have are on your Ls and Ps, you’re not allowed to use your mobile phone at all while the car is not parked.  It doesn’t matter if you have it hands free or mounted, or if you’re using it just to listen to music. It’s still against the law.  

If you’re caught using your phone, you could be fined $466.38 and lose up to 4 demerit points!

If you have your full licence, you can only use your phone while you’re not parked if:

• the phone is mounted in a special holder (like on your windscreen); or
• the phone is somewhere else and you don’t need to touch it to use it (for example youre using a Bluetooth headset);

If you aren’t following these rules, you could be fined $466.38 and you could lose up to 4 demerit points. If you’re caught using your mobile phone in a school zone, the penalties could be even higher!

Even though it’s legal to use your phone in Victoria with your full licence, it’s still much safer for you to pull over, park and then look at your phone.  

Skateboards, rollerblades and rollerskates

Do I have to wear a helmet?

No, you don’t have to wear a helmet while on a skateboard, rollerblade or roller-skate, but it’s still a good idea.

There are also some other laws about riding skateboards, rollerblades and roller skates:

• You must keep to the left of a footpath or shared path unless it is impractical to do so.
• You must give way to pedestrians.
• On a separated footpath, you must not use pedestrian designated areas of the path unless you are crossing the path by the shortest route and you do not stay for longer than it takes to cross safely.
• You must not skate along a road that has a centre line, a lane line or a median strip.
• You must not be towed by another vehicle.
• You must not skate on public transport or inside a train station.
• If the local council has put up a sign prohibiting skating in certain areas you must abide by these signs.

Number plates

When you’re driving a car or motorbike, your number plates must always be visible. If they’re not visible, you could be fined $310.92 and lose up to 3 demerit points.

Speeding

Speeding is always against the law. If you’re caught speeding, you could lose your licence on the spot, depending on how fast you were going.  

If you’re on your P or L licence, there are special speeding laws that apply to you.  Please check out our Licences page for more information.

More information about road rules

VicRoads

VicRoads serves the community by managing the Victorian road network and its use as an integral part of the overall transport system. VicRoads works to achieve improved access, safety and mobility for Victoria’s road users.

• Contact VicRoads or check out their website.
• Road safety information service: 1300 360 745
• Bicycle Information Service: (03) 8376 8888 or 1800 639 634

If you’re under 25 and you have a question about road rules that we haven’t answered here, please ask us a question here and we can give you some free information and advice.