Yesterday I was riding my bike through Middleburg and passed by a park police car with his radar gun out. I was not going above the speed limit.
Not long afterward he pulled out and passed me in the town of Middleburg. When he was slowed or stopped by other cars I slowly passed him and another car on the right where there was plenty of room between him and the parked cars. Right after this he stopped to let a pedestrian go through the cross walk while someone turning onto the same road in the opposite direction nearly hit the pedestrian before stopping in the cross walk.
Although the police officer didn’t say a thing to the driver of the car in the cross walk he scolded me while we were both stopped at the next traffic light for having passed him on the right. Feeling like he was not a fan of cyclists and not wanting things to escalate I apologized while telling him I didn’t know it was illegal. Things ended there.
But my question is this: Is it illegal to pass slow moving or stopped cars on the right when there is ample room? Maybe I have to follow traffic as he suggested but I thought that since they pass us on the left it is OK to pass them on the right especially when they are stopped or slow-moving.
Virginia Code 46.2-907
“A person riding a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, motorized skateboard or foot-scooter, 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.”
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Virginia Code 46.2-907
“A person riding a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, motorized skateboard or foot-scooter, 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.”
Thanks. I am going to put a call in on Monday to demand an apology from the officer and insist he be educated on the law.
How big is the city you live in? People do tend to hold grudges and there are many many laws on the books. You yourself admit you were not familiar with it yet you are a cyclist. Instead keep the knowledge in your back pocket in case you ever are stopped for the violation.
Feeling like he was not a fan of cyclists and not wanting things to escalate I apologized while telling him I didn’t know it was illegal. .
Thanks. I am going to put a call in on Monday to demand an apology from the officer and insist he be educated on the law.
I wonder if…
Nevermind.
Feeling like he was not a fan of cyclists and not wanting things to escalate I apologized while telling him I didn’t know it was illegal. .
Thanks. I am going to put a call in on Monday to demand an apology from the officer and insist he be educated on the law.
I wonder if…
Nevermind.
The guy completely ignored a motorist who almost struck a pedestrian in the crosswalk but felt like he had to harass me over something that wasn’t illegal. But I guess your right. Maybe we shouldn’t confront his bad behavior and let him keep getting on with his business.
The guy harassed me without cause. He should apologize.
How big is the city you live in? People do tend to hold grudges and there are many many laws on the books. You yourself admit you were not familiar with it yet you are a cyclist. Instead keep the knowledge in your back pocket in case you ever are stopped for the violation.
+1
Why not contact the Washington Area Bicycles Association (WABA), Virginia Bicycling Federation (VBF) or another VA cycling association and tell them your story. They will often contact departments and discuss incidents that have happened and how best all parties can learn from them.
How big is the city you live in? People do tend to hold grudges and there are many many laws on the books. You yourself admit you were not familiar with it yet you are a cyclist. Instead keep the knowledge in your back pocket in case you ever are stopped for the violation.
+1
Why not contact the Washington Area Bicycles Association (WABA), Virginia Bicycling Federation (VBF) or another VA cycling association and tell them your story. They will often contact departments and discuss incidents that have happened and how best all parties can learn from them.
Middleburg isn’t very big though I don’t live there.
WABA is a good suggestion. I’ll check with them. It’s probably easier and less stressful to look the other way. But again it irks me that he ignored a dangerous traffic violation that occurred just before he scolded me for doing something that wasn’t illegal. This leads me to believe that he was targeting me as a cyclist which is why I feel that he should be confronted. I don’t want a potential bully to go unchecked.
on the other hand it’s probably illegal to pass a car stopped for a pedestrian or bicycle, so in this case it’s not so clear.
on the other hand it’s probably illegal to pass a car stopped for a pedestrian or bicycle, so in this case it’s not so clear.
Not illegal in VA if you do not impede or cause an unsafe condition for the pedestrian. Of course that is all subjective to the LEO and may be part of his stopping the OP.
In VA cyclists can even run red lights if certain conditions are met. I do not live in VA anymore but I think there were like 5 conditions that had to be met. Basically common sense stuff and safety of course but it can be done legally.
on the other hand it’s probably illegal to pass a car stopped for a pedestrian or bicycle, so in this case it’s not so clear.
At the time he wasn’t stopped for either. He was slowed by traffic. But either way I was nowhere near the pedestrian when she was in the crossing.
on the other hand it’s probably illegal to pass a car stopped for a pedestrian or bicycle, so in this case it’s not so clear.
At the time he wasn’t stopped for either. He was slowed by traffic. But either way I was nowhere near the pedestrian when she was in the crossing.
you’re not listening. it’s illegal to pass whey they are stopped for pedestrians, in some states.
Shouldn’t the police know the laws on the books?
on the other hand it’s probably illegal to pass a car stopped for a pedestrian or bicycle, so in this case it’s not so clear.
At the time he wasn’t stopped for either. He was slowed by traffic. But either way I was nowhere near the pedestrian when she was in the crossing.
you’re not listening. it’s illegal to pass whey they are stopped for pedestrians, in some states.
Chill out bro. No need to get short with me. They wasn’t stopped for a pedestrian or cyclist when I passed they.
Virginia Code 46.2-907
“A person riding a bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, electric power-assisted bicycle, motorized skateboard or foot-scooter, 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.”
I spoke today with the Middleburg police chief who was a polite and courteous gentleman. He stated that his officer was not aware of the VA law cited above that does allow cyclists to pass on the right side. He also sent an email to all of his officers to ensure that they too are aware of this law.
Thank you again for the helpful information.
I live in VA.
Wasn’t aware of any laws. The way it has been for me is a free-for-all. Cops around here will do anything to stand up for drivers, and nothing for cyclists or runners.
Cars are vicious around here. To the point where my handling skills improved immensely from trying to avoid being paralyzed.
In VA cyclists can even run red lights if certain conditions are met. I do not live in VA anymore but I think there were like 5 conditions that had to be met. Basically common sense stuff and safety of course but it can be done legally.
The first one being that the light fails to change for 2 cycles, and applies to motorcyles as well.
Basically if you are on a bicycle you already “ran” it 5 minutes before those conditions were met.
Ideally, sure. But, so should the people that are being policed.
Ideally, sure. But, so should the people that are being policed.
“Ideally, sure.” But doesn’t it make more sense that the people enforcing laws know the laws they’re enforcing? We have a built-in measure for a civilian not knowing a law (ignorance of the law does not render one inculpable), but (as we see in countless YouTube vids) ignorant law-enforcement officers tend to go with “I’m right because I’m a cop” rather than “I’m right because the law says X.”
The officer was wrong, it happens. The issue was addressed with the CLEO, and he seems to have handled it well.
There was no ticket involved, the officer was properly corrected - by his superior, so I’m failing to see a larger issue here.