========================================================================= § 33.1-152.1 Permissible uses by counties of certain discontinued secondary system highways. Whenever a secondary system highway is discontinued under §33.1-150, the county governing body may by ordinance provide for use of the property for any of the following purposes: (i) hiking or bicycle trails and paths or other nonvehicular transportation and recreation purposes; (ii) greenway corridors for resource protection and biodiversity enhancement, with or without public ingress and egress; and (iii) access to historic, cultural, and educational sites. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ § 46.2-800 Riding bicycles or mopeds; riding or driving animals Every person riding a bicycle, moped or an animal or driving an animal on a highway shall be subject to the provisions of this chapter and shall have all of the rights and duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle, unless the context of the provision clearly indicates otherwise. The provisions of subsections A and C of §46.2-920 applicable to operation of emergency vehicles under emergency conditions shall also apply, mutatis mutandis, to bicycles and mopeds operated under similar emergency conditions by law-enforcement officers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ § 46.2-839 Passing bicycle or moped In approaching or passing a person riding a bicycle or moped, the driver of a motor vehicle shall pass at a safe distance and at a reasonable speed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ § 46.2-847 Left turns by bicycles and mopeds A person riding a bicycle or moped and intending to turn left shall either follow a course described in §46.2-846 or make the turn as provided in this section. A person riding a bicycle or moped and intending to turn left shall approach the turn as close as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway. After proceeding across the intersecting roadway, the rider shall comply with traffic signs or signals and continue his turn as close as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway being entered. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this section, the Commonwealth Transportation Board and local authorities, in their respective jurisdictions, may cause official traffic control devices to be placed at intersections to direct that a specific course be traveled by turning bicycles and mopeds. When such devices are so placed, no person shall turn a bicycle or moped other than as directed by such devices. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ § 46.2-849 How signals given A. Signals required by §46.2-848 shall be given by means of the hand and arm or by some mechanical or electrical device approved by the Superintendent, in the manner specified in this section. Whenever the signal is given by means of the hand and arm, the driver shall indicate his intention to start, stop, turn, or partly turn by extending the hand and arm beyond the left side of the vehicle in the manner following: 1. For left turn or to pull to the left, the arm shall be extended in a horizontal position straight from and level with the shoulder; 2. For right turn or to pull to the right, the arm shall be extended upward; 3. For slowing down or stopping, the arm shall be extended downward. B. Wherever the lawful speed is more than 35 miles per hour, such signals shall be given continuously for a distance of at least 100 feet, and in all other cases at least fifty feet, before slowing down, stopping, turning, or partly turning. C. A person riding a bicycle or moped shall signal his intention to stop, or turn. Such signals, however, need not be given continuously if both hands are needed in the control or operation of the bicycle or moped. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ § 46.2-856 Passing two vehicles abreast A person shall be guilty of reckless driving who passes or attempts to pass two other vehicles abreast, moving in the same direction, except on highways having separate roadways of three or more lanes for each direction of travel, or on designated one-way streets or highways. This section shall not apply, however, to a motor vehicle passing two other vehicles when one or both of such other vehicles is a bicycle or moped; nor shall this section apply to a bicycle or moped passing two other vehicles. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ § 46.2-857 Driving two abreast in a single lane A person shall be guilty of reckless driving who drives any motor vehicle, including any motorcycle, so as to be abreast of another vehicle in a lane designed for one vehicle, or drives any motor vehicle, including any motorcycle, so as to travel abreast of any other vehicle traveling in a lane designed for one vehicle. However, this section shall not apply to any validly authorized parade, motorcade, or motorcycle escort, nor shall it apply to a motor vehicle traveling in the same lane of traffic as a bicycle or moped. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ § 46.2-903 Riding or driving vehicles other than bicycles on sidewalks No person shall ride or drive any vehicle other than (i) an emergency vehicle, as defined in §46.2-920, (ii) a vehicle engaged in snow or ice removal and control operations, (iii) a wheel chair or wheel chair conveyance, whether self-propelled or otherwise, or (iv) a bicycle on the sidewalks of any county, city, or town of the Commonwealth. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ § 46.2-904 Operation of bicycles on sidewalks and crosswalks The governing body of any county, city, or town may by ordinance prohibit the riding of bicycles on designated sidewalks or crosswalks, including those of any church, school, recreational facility, or any business property open to the public where such activity is prohibited. Signs indicating such prohibition shall be conspicuously posted in general areas where bicycle riding is prohibited. A person riding a bicycle on a sidewalk, or across a roadway on a crosswalk, shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian and shall give an audible signal before overtaking and passing any pedestrian. No person shall ride a bicycle on a sidewalk, or across a roadway on a crosswalk, where such use of bicycles is prohibited by official traffic control devices. A person riding a bicycle on a sidewalk, or across a roadway on a crosswalk, shall have all the rights and duties of a pedestrian under the same circumstances. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ § 46.2-905 Riding bicycles and mopeds on roadways and bicycle paths Any person operating a bicycle or moped on a roadway shall ride as close as practicable to the right curb or edge of the roadway, except under any of the following circumstances: 1. When overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction; 2. When preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway; and 3. When reasonably necessary to avoid conditions including, but not limited to, fixed or moving objects, parked or moving vehicles, pedestrians, animals, surface hazards, or substandard width lanes that make it unsafe to continue along the right curb or edge. For purposes of this section, a "substandard width lane" is a lane too narrow for a bicycle or moped and another vehicle to pass safely side by side within the lane. Persons riding bicycles on a highway shall not ride two or more abreast except on paths or parts of highways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles. The governing body of any locality may by ordinance provide that wherever a usable path for bicycles has been provided adjacent to a roadway, bicycle riders shall use such path and shall not use the roadway. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ § 46.2-906 Carrying articles on bicycles and mopeds No person operating a bicycle or moped on a highway shall carry any package, bundle, or article which prevents the driver from keeping at least one hand on the handlebars. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ § 46.2-906.1 Local ordinances may require bicyclists to wear helmets The governing body of any county, city or town may, by ordinance, provide that every person fourteen years of age or younger shall wear a protective helmet that meets the standards promulgated by the American National Standards Institute or the Snell Memorial Foundation whenever riding or being carried on a bicycle on any highway as defined in §46.2-100, sidewalk, or public bicycle path. Violation of any such ordinance shall be punishable by a fine of twenty-five dollars. However, such fine shall be suspended (i) for first-time violators and (ii) for violators who, subsequent to the violation but prior to imposition of the fine, purchase helmets of the type required by the ordinance. Violation of any such ordinance shall not constitute negligence, or assumption of risk, be considered in mitigation of damages of whatever nature, be admissible in evidence, or be the subject of comment by counsel in any action for the recovery of damages arising out of the operation of any bicycle, nor shall anything in this section change any existing law, rule, or procedure pertaining to any civil action. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ § 46.2-907 Overtaking and passing vehicles A person riding a bicycle or moped may overtake and pass another vehicle on either the left or right side, staying in the same lane as the overtaken vehicle, or changing to a different lane, or riding off the roadway as necessary to pass with safety. A person riding a bicycle or moped may overtake and pass another vehicle only under conditions which permit the movement to be made with safety. A person riding a bicycle or moped shall not travel between two lanes of traffic moving in the same direction, except where one lane is a separate turn lane or a mandatory turn lane. Except as otherwise provided in this section, a person riding a bicycle or moped shall comply with all rules applicable to the driver of a motor vehicle when overtaking and passing. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ § 46.2-908 Registration of bicycle serial numbers Any person who owns a bicycle may register its serial number with the local law-enforcement agency of the political subdivision in which such person resides. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ § 46.2-932 Playing on highways; roller skates, skateboards, toys, or other devices on wheels or runners; persons riding bicycles, mopeds, etc., not to attach to vehicles. No person shall play on a highway, other than on the sidewalks thereof, within a city or town or on any part of a highway outside the limits of a city or town designated by the Commonwealth Transportation Commissioner exclusively for vehicular travel. No person shall use roller skates, skateboards, toys, or other devices on wheels or runners, except bicycles, mopeds, and motorcycles, on highways where play is prohibited. The governing bodies of counties, cities, and towns may designate areas on highways under their control where play is permitted and may impose reasonable restrictions on play on such highways. If the highways have only two traffic lanes, persons using such devices, except bicycles, mopeds, and motorcycles, shall keep as near as reasonably possible to the extreme left side or edge of the left traffic lane so that they will be facing oncoming traffic at all times. No person riding on any bicycle, moped, roller skates, skateboards, toys, or other devices on wheels or runners, shall attach the same or himself to any vehicle on a roadway. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ § 46.2-1015 Lights on bicycles and mopeds Every bicycle and moped when in use between sunset and sunrise shall be equipped with a white light on the front which shall be visible in clear weather from a distance of at least 500 feet to the front and with a red reflector on the rear. Such reflector shall be of a type approved by the Superintendent and shall be visible in clear weather from fifty feet to 300 feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful high beams of head lights on a motor vehicle. A red light visible in clear weather for 500 feet to the rear may be used in lieu of or in addition to the red reflector. Such lights and reflector shall be of types approved by the Superintendent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ § 46.2-1051 Certain local governments may impose restrictions on operations of certain mopeds, mini-bikes, trail-bikes, and go-carts The governing body of any county, city, or town which is located within the Northern Virginia Planning District may provide by ordinance that no person shall operate and no owner shall permit the operation of, either on a highway or on public or private property within 500 feet of any residential district, any motorcycle, moped, motorized bicycle, motorcycle-like device commonly known as a trail-bike or mini-bike, or motorized cart commonly known as a go-cart unless it is equipped with an exhaust system of a type installed as standard equipment, or comparable to that designed for use on that particular vehicle or device as s tandard factory equipment, in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive noise. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ § 46.2-1066 Brakes Every motor vehicle when driven on a highway shall be equipped with brakes adequate to control the movements of and to stop and hold such vehicle. The brakes shall be maintained in good working order and shall conform to the provisions of this article. Every bicycle and moped when operated on a highway shall be equipped with a brake which will enable the operator to make the braked wheels skid on dry, level, clean pavement. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ § 46.2-1078 Unlawful to operate motor vehicle, moped, or bicycle while using earphones It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle, moped, or bicycle on the highways in the Commonwealth while using earphones on or in both ears. For the purpose of this section, "earphones" shall mean any device worn on or in both ears which converts electrical energy to sound waves or which impairs or hinders the person's ability to hear, but shall not include (i) any prosthetic device which aids the hard of hearing, (ii) earphones installed in helmets worn by motorcycle operators and riders and used as part of a communications system, or (iii) nonprosthetic, closed-ear, open-back, electronic devices designed and used to enhance the hearing ability of persons who operate vehicles in high-noise environments, provided any such device is being worn by the operator of a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,000 pounds or more. The provisions of this section shall not apply to the driver of any emergency vehicle as defined in §46.2-920. ------------------------------------------------------------------------