In Virginia, is it lawful for a person to ride a bicycle on a sidewalk or crosswalk, and if so, what are the rights and duties of such a person?

The below information was written by our personal injury lawyers in Virginia Beach.

The Virginia Code gives the governing bodies of counties, cities, and towns the authority to regulate the use of bicycles on sidewalks and crosswalks. For that reason, the determination as to whether it is lawful for a person to ride a bicycle on a sidewalk or crosswalk depends on the laws of the locality. For example, in the City of Virginia Beach, it is permissible to operate a bicycle on a sidewalk, unless there is a specific prohibition on such use found in the Virginia Beach City Code. One such prohibition on the operation of a bicycle on a sidewalk in the City of Virginia Beach applies to the resort area, which the Virginia Beach City Code defines as the area, from and including, the sidewalk on the west side of Pacific Avenue to the Atlantic Ocean between Rudee Inlet and 42nd Street.

According to our personal injury lawyers in Virginia Beach, a bicyclist on a sidewalk or crosswalk has a duty to yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and has a duty to give an audible signal before overtaking and passing any pedestrian. Otherwise, a person riding a bicycle on a sidewalk or crosswalk has the same rights and duties as a pedestrian. For more information regarding the rights and duties of pedestrians on crosswalks, click here.

If a person is injured while operating a bicycle on a sidewalk or crosswalk, such a person may have a right to compensation, but that determination is specific to the facts of the individual case. A person injured while operating a bicycle on a sidewalk, crosswalk, or otherwise should contact an experienced personal injury lawyer, who can advise the injured person as to what the applicable law is and what compensation the injured person may be entitled to.

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Also, see Virginia Beach Motorcycle Injury Attorney.