Sharing the road with motorcycles
Motorcycle riders are more vulnerable to serious injury in a crash. When sharing the road with motorcycles you must:
- scan the traffic for motorcycles (front, rear, left, right)
- check your blind spots by looking into your mirrors and over your shoulder before changing lanes or turning
- check for motorcycles when approaching intersections—motorcycles are not always easy to see and their small size can make it difficult to judge their speed and distance
- leave a safe space between your vehicle and the motorcycle when overtaking
- give motorcycles plenty of room when behind—in good driving conditions, keep a 2 second gap between you and the motorcycle, allow more space on wet roads
- avoid dropping oil and debris on the road as it is hazardous to all road users and especially motorcycles
- use your head lights in poor visibility.
To safely share the road it is important to remember:
- motorcycle riders are allowed to take up an entire lane
- motorcycle riders can ride side-by-side as long as they are not more than 1.5m apart
- if safe do so, fully licensed motorcycle riders are allowed to:
- lane filter
- ride on road shoulders or in emergency stopping lanes
- enter bicycle storage areas
More information
Refer to the motorcylce road rules for more information.