New Zealand drivers, cyclists and e-scooter riders will need to learn some new road rules from 1 October 2026, after the Government confirmed a set of changes.
One of the biggest changes for kids is that children aged 12 and under will be legally allowed to ride their bikes on footpaths, as long as an older rider is with them. Transport Minister Chris Bishop said the change “strikes the right balance between protecting young cyclists and ensuring footpaths remain safe for everyone who uses them.”
Drivers will also have to leave a clear, standard gap of 1.5 metres when passing cyclists and horse riders, replacing the old rule where the gap changed depending on the speed limit. Bishop said the new rule was “clearer for drivers and safer for everyone.”
On roads with speed limits of 60km/h or under, drivers will now have to give way to buses pulling out from a bus stop. Interestingly, about half the people surveyed by the Government already believed this was the law.
E-scooter riders will also be allowed to use cycle lanes under the new rules. More than 6,000 people gave feedback on the proposed changes before the Government finalised them, along with 44 smaller technical tweaks to road signs and markings.
The changes won’t happen straight away, so there’s plenty of time to get used to the new rules before October.
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