Late last year the Queensland Government introduced a range of new rules and regulations to crack down on the misuse of e-scooters and other e-mobility devices.

In a bid to educate Queenslanders on the new rules and prevent them from becoming part of the growing number of riders seriously injured or worse, RACQ has published a series of e-scooter quizzes with one sparking quite the debate.

One of the new rules introduced in November 2022 was the reduction of speed limits for e-scooters on footpaths and shared paths to 12km/h, unless otherwise signed.

The below quiz, published on social media, asked Queenslanders: If an e-scooter rider is intending to exit the footpath to cross the road and the yellow car has pulled up to the line, who gives way?

Go to the bottom of this story for the answer.

The quiz received more than 1,900 comments debating how the rules differ all over the world.

RACQ’s Principal Technical Researcher Andrew Kirk said it was important for RACQ to educate Queenslanders on e-scooter rules and provide safety advice as they become an increasingly popular option for convenient, cheap and sustainable mode of transport.

“It’s great to see people adopting sustainable transport options like e-scooters but it’s important that people know the rules and abide by them as well as how to choose and use a device safely,” Mr Kirk said.   

“At RACQ we will always aim to educate our members and Queenslanders alike through traffic quizzes and other mediums on the latest road rules.”

As the uptake of more sustainable transport options begins globally, it is understandable for there to be uncertainty and for these laws to differ depending on where you are.

Mr Kirk said that while laws may differ around the world, safety precautions remained the same no matter where you were.

“A great starting point to ensure you’re across e-scooter safety before jumping on one would be watching our easy-to-follow safety videos,” Mr Kirk said.

“Our advice would also be to make sure if you’re travelling outside of Queensland you brush up on any laws on government websites before jumping on an e-scooter.”

Quiz answer

The e-scooter rider must give way. The rider is not yet on the road or crossing the road the driver is entering and they must not cause a traffic hazard by moving into the path of the driver.