While riding a bike can be enjoyable, it can also be dangerous because of the risks involved if you are hit. Virginia saw 15 fatal bicycle crashes in 2025 and the Virginia Department of Transportation reports that bicyclist fatalities have increased 25 percent over the last decade, making cycling one of the fastest-growing categories of roadway deaths in the state.
When a crash does happen, injured cyclists need to understand that Virginia's legal system does not automatically favor them just because they were on the smaller vehicle. This is why it’s important to speak with a Norfolk bicycle accident lawyer if you’ve been injured in a crash.
Virginia Treats Bicycles as Vehicles
Under Virginia law, a bicycle is a vehicle. That means riders have the same rights as drivers. It also means they have the same responsibilities. You have to obey traffic signals. You have to stop at stop signs. You have to signal your turns using hand signals. If you blow through a red light on your bike and get hit, that is going to be a problem for your case.
Virginia Code Section 46.2-905 says bicyclists should ride as close to the right curb or edge of the road as is safely practicable.
That "safely practicable" part is important. The law does not say you have to hug the curb at all costs. You can move left when:
- You are overtaking and passing another vehicle going the same direction
- You are preparing for a left turn
- Road conditions like potholes, parked cars, debris, or narrow lanes make the right edge unsafe
- You need to avoid a right-turn-only lane
- You are riding on a one-way street, where riding near the left edge is also legal
Sticking to the right as a default is good practice, but the law gives you room to make judgment calls about your own safety. And that flexibility can be critical in a legal claim if someone tries to argue you were out of position when the crash happened.
Local Rules Add Another Layer
Virginia gives cities and counties the authority to set their own bicycle rules. Virginia Beach allows bikes on sidewalks in most areas but prohibits them at the Oceanfront. Norfolk requires cyclists to use designated bike lanes where they exist. Other localities have their own restrictions on sidewalk riding, one-way street access, and park paths.
If you ride in multiple cities, which most people in the Hampton Roads area do, you need to know that the rules change depending on where you are. What is legal in Chesapeake may get you a ticket in Norfolk. A Norfolk bike accident lawyer who handles cycling injury cases can tell you whether a local ordinance affected your rights at the time of the crash.
What Drivers Are Required to Do
Virginia law puts specific obligations on drivers when they are around cyclists. The most important one is the three-foot passing rule. If a driver overtakes a bicycle from behind, they must leave at least three feet of clearance between their vehicle and the bike. If there is not enough room to pass with three feet of space, the driver has to wait.
Drivers also have to yield to cyclists when making turns. This applies at intersections, when pulling out of driveways, and when entering or exiting parking lots. A right-turning driver who cuts off a cyclist riding straight through an intersection is violating the law and can be held liable for the resulting injuries.
The Dutch Reach
One accident type that does not get enough attention is dooring. A driver or passenger parks, opens their door into the bike lane, and a cyclist slams into it at speed. These crashes cause broken bones, head injuries, and worse.
The Dutch Reach is a simple technique where you open the car door with the hand farthest from it. That forces you to turn your body and look into your blind spot before swinging the door open. It is not legally required in Virginia, but it prevents a type of accident that injures cyclists regularly.
Riding at Night and Other Requirements
Bicycles ridden after dark must have a white front headlight and red rear reflector. These are legal requirements. Riding without them is a traffic violation, and it gives the insurance company ammunition to argue that you were hard to see and contributed to your own crash.
Cyclists cannot ride on interstate highways in Virginia. Speed-wise, you will not get ticketed for going too slow, but you are expected to ride with the flow of traffic. Weaving between lanes, passing other cyclists unsafely, or riding against traffic are all violations that can hurt you legally if an accident happens.
Two or more cyclists riding abreast is allowed under Virginia law, but only when it does not impede traffic. If cars are stacking up behind two riders who could safely ride single file, the riders can be cited for it.
Helmets and What They Mean for Your Case
Virginia requires helmets for riders under 14. Some cities mandate them for adults, but state law does not. Whether you were wearing a helmet or not, Virginia law specifically prohibits the other side from using your helmet status as a basis for contributory negligence. In other words, if a driver runs a stop sign and hits you, they cannot argue that your head injury is your fault because you were not wearing a helmet.
What to Do After a Bicycle Accident
If you were hit by a car or truck while riding, the steps you take immediately after the crash can affect the outcome of your case. Get medical attention, even if you feel fine. Adrenaline masks pain. Document the scene if you are able. Get the driver's information and flile a police report.
Then talk to an attorney. A bicycle accident injury claim in Virginia is going to involve the same contributory negligence issues that come up in any other personal injury case, and the insurance company will look for any reason to argue that you were partially at fault.
Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp has been representing people injured in bicycle crashes, car accidents, and trucking collisions since 1985. Our operates on a contingency fee basis, which means there is never a fee unless we recover compensation for you.
If a driver's negligence caused your cycling accident, contact the Norfolk bike accident lawyer team at Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp to go over your case. Call 833-997-1774 or contact us online for a free consultation. Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp has offices in Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton, Norfolk, and Chesapeake.
