Urban married Hollywood star Nicole Kidman in 2006

The 39-year-old, who was not injured, said he was being followed by a photographer when the accident happened near his home in Sydney, Australia.

"I sped up, and in an effort to elude an oncoming car, which was making an illegal U-turn, saw no choice but to drop my bike," he said in a statement.

Urban added that his pursuer came to his assistance "without taking photos".

The New Zealand-born singer, who grew up in Australia, completed a three-month stint in rehabilitation for alcohol abuse earlier this year.

He checked himself into the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California, last October, less than four months after his wedding to actress Nicole Kidman.

While in the clinic he missed the release of his latest album, Love, Pain and the Whole Crazy Thing, and was not present to accept his second male vocalist of the year honour at the Country Music Association Awards.

The singer put his accident down to "one person's desire to do his job and my desire to maintain my privacy."