New laws on the use of eRideables will come into effect on December 4, leading to greater consistency with other jurisdictions, reflecting recent amendments to the Australian Road Rules and ensuring the State's road rules keep up with changes in technology.
eRideables are electric powered devices not capable of travelling faster than 25 km/h and include e-scooters, electric unicycles, electric skateboards, electric roller skates, one-wheel electric scooters and hoverboards.
The new laws include:
- the speed limit on bike and shared paths and local roads will be 25 km/h, consistent with regulations in Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand;
- the speed limit on footpaths and in pedestrian areas will be 10km/h;
- users will be required to give way to pedestrians and keep to the left of oncoming riders;
- users of eRideables must be at least 16 years of age;
- users must wear an approved helmet, use lights and reflectors at night and have a working warning device; and
- the same mobile phone and drink and drug driving rules apply as for motor vehicle drivers.
Under existing Western Australian rules, children under the age of 16 years can use motorised scooters with a maximum power output of 200w and maximum speed of 10 km/h. This provision will not change.
eRideables contribute to more vibrant and sustainable cities; they add to transport choice and can be a convenient, environmentally friendly way of getting around that will also lead to business opportunities for tourism and rideshare operators.
The McGowan Government has a strong focus on active transport with a record $265 million allocated over the next four years to upgrade bike riding and walking infrastructure around WA.
eRideable owners and those looking to purchase an eRideable should familiarise themselves with the new rules which are scheduled to take effect on December 4.
For information relating to the new eRideable legislation, visit the Road Safety Commission website https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/road-safety-commission
As stated by Road Safety Minister Paul Papalia:
"In many modern cities around the world you'll see e-scooters being used as people get out and connect with their communities.
"These changes are about our road rules keeping up with advances in technology and making sure their use is both legal and safe.
"We want to continue to make sure that our shared paths are as safe for everyone as possible. Sharing our spaces and respecting other users will allow all of us to enjoy living in our communities."
As stated by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
"More and more people are using e-scooters and similar devices to move around.
"These devices are increasing in popularity and it's important we allow them to use our roads and paths in a safe way.
"We want people to have a number of different transport options which is why we are investing heavily in constructing METRONET, upgrading Principal Shared Paths, and closing gaps on our cycling network.
"As METRONET projects come online I hope to see an even greater take-up of personal mobility devices like e-scooters - helping people to better connect to their local stations and working to complement our new rail infrastructure."
