Motorcycle riding laws change from state to state across Australia. In recent years Victoria has been reviewing and making changes to motorcycle laws to make the roads safer and more accessible to everyone.
If you’re moving to Victoria or going on an interstate road trip, make sure you know how the laws are different so you don’t get yourself in trouble when you cross the border.
We’ve put together a summary of some of the different motorcycle laws in Victoria but for more detail you should visit the VicRoads website.
Victorian Motorcycle Parking Laws
Parking your motorbike in Victoria is a lot more liberal than in other states. You can park your bike on any footpath unless there is a sign stating otherwise. You just have to make sure you park your bike in a way that does not block the path of pedestrians, delivery vehicles, public transport or parked cars.
Using Transit Lanes
Motorbikes are allowed to ride in transit lanes. However, unless you are making a turn, you cannot ride in tram lanes, bus lanes, bicycle lanes or special vehicle lanes.
Lane Splitting
As with all Australian states, lane splitting – weaving between lanes at high speeds, is considered dangerous and illegal. You will be pulled over and fined.
Lane Filtering & New Motorcycle Laws in Victoria
As of November 2015, riders in Victoria have been legally allowed to lane filter through traffic. This is not lane splitting as you can only move between cars that are stationary or moving at speeds 30 kilometres per hour or slower.
This means in congested traffic you can move between vehicles or ride to the front of traffic light line ups. However, this does not allow riders to use special purpose lanes like bicycle and tram lanes.
Victoria Motorcycle Helmet Laws
Victorian riders are now allowed to wear helmets with either Australian, New Zealand or European approval ratings. Much like Queensland and the ACT, Victoria opened up the approval ratings to include helmet models with the ECE 22.05 rating.
Tinted visors will still get you a fine though. If you’re pulled over for riding with a tinted helmet visor you will actually receive a fine for “riding without a helmet” as they make the helmet non-compliant.
Cameras on Helmets
The road rules in Victoria state that any attachment that protrudes a helmet more than 5mm voids the helmet’s adherence to Australian Standards. This means cameras attached to helmets result in you technically wearing an unapproved helmet and you can face hefty fines.
However, a recent court appeal saw one such fine overturned, creating a legal precedent. While it is still illegal, it looks like this will change in the near future.
Other Motorbike Law Changes
While not yet laws, there is currently a push for VicRoads to instigate first ever new laws to make wearing motorbike boots and gloves compulsory. Make sure you check these kinds of developments before passing through Victoria.
If you’re living in Victoria or planning a long ride and thinking of getting a motorbike, talk to the team at Car Finance. We provide competitive motorbike finance rates, as well as preapproved loans and motorbike insurance.
Call us on 1300 889 669 to talk about the bike you’re after, or simply apply online to get things moving.