Scooting, Skating and Cycling

Riding scooters and skateboards on footpaths

Everyone is allowed by law to ride scooters and skateboards on footpaths. However, you need to ensure you:

ride carefully and are considerate of others on the footpath
do not ride at speeds that put other footpath users at risk
give way to pedestrians and drivers of mobility scooters.

Cycling safety for children

Children should know how to ride safely and be confident in traffic before they are allowed to cycle solo. For this reason, we recommend that children under the age of 10 should always cycle with an adult.

Cartoon-style image of male child riding bike wearing helmet

Ways to support your child to become a confident cyclist:

Ride with them
Make sure your child's bike is in good working order with working brakes
Make sure the bike has reflectors - it is a legal requirement
Give your child bright-coloured or reflective clothing so other road users can see them more easily, or get a hi-vis backpack cover
Practice riding the route to school with your child on the weekend when traffic is light
Teach your child to keep left, check over their shoulder for traffic, use hand signals and expect hazards and ride to avoid them.

The official New Zealand code for cyclists has more detailed information.

Helmets

Ensure your child always wears a helmet when riding their cycle, scooter or skateboard.

To be safe:

There should be a standards-approved sticker on the helmet
The outside of the helmet (shell and polystyrene) should be in good condition and not cracked or damaged
The straps and buckles should be in good order, not frayed or broken
The cycle helmet should be the right size - with little or no wobble when on the head. The chin and back straps should meet on the jaw, below the earlobes, with straps firm but not too tight. If the helmet tips sideway, backwards or forwards, it is too loose.