People riding skateboards, roller skates or scooters are vulnerable road users and can increase their level of safety by making themselves visible, wearing brightly coloured clothing and using safe travel routes and road crossings.

What the Law says

Under the Australian Road Rules:

• anyone is allowed to skate or use a scooter, provided they wear a safety helmet
• skating is allowed on most residential streets and footpaths, but is not allowed:
  • on roads with a dividing line or median strip
  • on roads which the speed limit is greater than 50 kilometres per hour
  • on a one-way road with more than 1 marked lane.
• skating is not allowed at night or during periods of low visibility
• skaters must not hold on to another moving vehicle.

What you can do about safe skating and scooting

It is the responsibility of skaters to ensure the safety of themselves and other road users. Skaters should:

• be alert and courteous to other road users to avoid danger and inconvenience
• observe all regulations and obey all directions of police or local law officers
• skate at speeds which are safe and within their ability
• if travelling on footpaths or shared use paths, give way to pedestrians and stay to the left and avoid areas of high traffic
• wear appropriate, brightly coloured, protective clothing, and accessories − elbow and knee pads, long pants
• learn how to skate in safe environments
• check that they have adequate insurance cover
• take extra care near senior citizens’ homes, retirement villages and nursing homes, child care centres, premises for people with disabilities, and hospitals.

In the interests of public safety, skaters should :

• give warning of their approach by calling out to pedestrians on a footpath or shared use path
• stay off the road when riding their skateboard or skating on rollerblades or roller-skates
• always remember to Stop Look Listen Think when crossing the road and only skate across if you have control of your board or skates.

And never:

• overtake a vehicle moving in the same direction
• ride alongside a vehicle
• ride within 2 metres of the rear of a motor vehicle for a distance greater than 200metres.

Road safety experts recommend that children under 9 years of age should not skate unsupervised on roads or footpaths.

Links

SAPOL Road Safety tips