Aussie Cyclists Can Be Fined Over $1,000 for Texting While Riding

Australia has long treated bicycles as vehicles under road law, meaning cyclists must follow the same rules as car drivers. Rule 300 of the Australian Road Rules — model legislation adopted by every state and territory — prohibits mobile phone use while operating any vehicle, and courts have consistently upheld that bicycles fall squarely within that definition.

The rule gained real teeth for cyclists over the 2010s as smartphones became ubiquitous and distracted-riding incidents rose. Victoria brought cyclist fines in line with driver penalties around 2017. Queensland followed with a major crackdown from February 2020, raising infringement fines to AUD $1,000 for cyclists — a figure widely reported in news coverage and cited in legal commentary. That Queensland figure has since been indexed upward with CPI adjustments and now sits at AUD $1,251 as of July 2025.

Real-world enforcement has made headlines: in 2021 and again in 2024, Queensland cyclists were issued fines exceeding $1,000 for using phones while riding, prompting police to publicly remind cyclists that 'they are subject to the same rules as motorists.' Unlike motorists, however, cyclists cannot receive demerit points — a meaningful distinction since cyclists are not required to hold a driver's licence.

The law draws a careful line: hands-free use is permitted. Cyclists can answer a call, listen to navigation directions, or skip a song — provided the phone is in a cradle mounted to the bike, in a clothing pocket, or operated entirely by voice. The moment a rider physically touches the phone while moving, they risk a fine. The practical effect is that the familiar sight of a cyclist holding a phone to their ear or scrolling through maps on the handlebars is, throughout Australia, a fineable offence.