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Mark Hinchliffe·
Tips/trainingTips on laws
··5 Comments·1 min read

Petty traffic offences are trapping motorists

A Queensland rider fined this week for stretching his legs while riding is not the first person fined for the offence.
The offence has been around for several years and many riders have been fined, but it is part of a growing list of “petty” fines Queensland motorists have copped since the police introduce a “scorecard” system.
Police Commissioner Ian Stewart has vowed to cut crime by 10 per cent by introducing the scorecard which will show the number of traffic fines, RBTs, street checks and calls for service by each officer.
Other “petty” fines in recent days have included not properly fastening a helmet strap (read the story here), driving 1km/h over the speed limit and leaving a car window down too far while parked.
Some of the traffic rules are quaint and old fashioned, however the rule about footpegs was introduced more recently by the Labor Government in Queensland to crack down on hoons after incidents of riders doing wheelies, riding backwards and standing on the seat.
Not knowing the rules is no defence against a fine, so I’ve put together a few unusual motorbike rules in Queensland from the Transport Operations (Road Use Management—RoadRules) Regulation 2009:

  1. 
The rider must sit astride the rider’s seat facing forwards with at least one hand on the handlebars at all time and, when moving, keep both feet on the rider’s footrests, not the passenger pegs. The passenger also has to use their seat and pegs and face forwards.
  2. You can ride beside another bike in the same lane and a third bike can pass in the same lane.
  3. Motorbikes can ride in the transit lane.
  4. You can only have one passenger (more for a sidecar) and they must be at least eight years old.
  5. If towing a bike the line can’t be over 2.5m and if it’s over 2m it needs a coloured flag or, at night, a light.
  6. You can’t ride with an animal between you and the handlebars, or anywhere it affects your control of the motorbike or interferes with your view of the road. Farmers are exempt but can only ride with an animal in front of them for no more than 500m.

(Have you been fined for what you consider a petty offence? Tell us about it or leave your comments below.)

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5 Comments

  1. The “two feet on foot pegs while the bike is moving” rule seems crazy. To me this means technically, a rider must come to a complete stop at lights/stop signs etc before moving feet off the pegs and putting his/her foot down to balance the bike. Just doesn’t sound right to me!

  2. This is no good. How will I perform my leg wave into corners if I cannot take my foot of the pegs!

  3. I often stand up on the pegs when going through a floodway or over a cattle grid on my BMW R1200GSA, and often stand to stretch my legs on long journeys, I understand that this is illegal, have not been pulled over yet.

  4. I was told once, “Rules are for the obedience of fools, and the guidance of wise men.” Everything was fine until cash-strapped governments saw an opportunity to make some easy money. They introduced many seemingly simple rules, then waited an appropriate time before making a killing. School Speed Zones, 50k urban default limits, Window down more than 50mm, Car not locked and Keys in the ignition when you are more than a few metres away, park brake not set when parked. But wait – there’s more to come when we get wise to these.

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