Rules of the Road for Bicycles in Virginia

In the state of Virginia, bicycles ridden on public highways have the same rights and duties as drivers of motor vehicles. The purpose behind these rules is to help avoid car accidents involving bicycles.Familiarizing yourself with the rules of the road for bicycles can go a long way in helping you avoid serious personal injury.

VDOT Rules for Bicyclists

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) requires that bicyclists follow all street signs, traffic lights and signals. In addition, VDOT states:

• Bicyclists must ride with the flow of traffic on the right side of the highway
• Bicyclists operating a bicycle on a roadway at less than the normal speed of traffic must ride as close as safely practicable to the right curb or edge of roadway
• Bicyclists must not ride between two lanes of traffic moving in the same direction unless one lane is a separate or mandatory turn lane
• Bicyclists cannot ride more than two abreast on highways
• Bicyclists are not permitted to ride on interstate and certain controlled access highways unless the operation is limited to bicycle or pedestrian facilities that are barrier separated from the roadway and automobile traffic
• Bicycles may be ridden on sidewalks unless prohibited by local ordinance or traffic control devices
• While on sidewalks and shared use paths, bicyclists must always yield the right of way to pedestrians and give an audible signal before passing a pedestrian
• Bicyclists pulling onto a sidewalk or highway from a driveway must yield the right of way to pedestrians or vehicles already on the sidewalk or highway

However, we all know that even when following these rules, it is not always possible to avoid a car/bicycle accident. When you are involved in one of these accidents, you will need an experienced Virginia Beach personal injury attorney on your side to make sure you are provided the full compensation you are due.

If you have been involved in a bicycle accident in or around Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Hampton, or Newport News, Virginia, please contact Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers to schedule a free case evaluation today.