Little Known VA Biker Law

[Curmudgeon]

Was forwarded this by a riding buddy. Certainly was news to me!


As those on this list already know, Virginia is one of only two states that make it illegal for two motorcycles to travel side by side.  The law prohibits motor vehicles from riding abreast of each other.   I have argued that due to the way that the statute is written an officer could charge riders who pull up to one another at a stop light.  This is something that most motorcyclists do on a regular basis.  The argument is that one motorcyclist is riding abreast to another when pulling alongside the other motorcycle.  

Be careful if you are riding in the area of Crewe Virginia .  There is an officer writing motorcyclists for that very thing.  We are currently representing two motorcyclists who have been charged with reckless driving for pulling alongside each other at a stop light.  I will keep you informed of the outcome.  I also hope that we can address this matter during the next session of the General Assembly.  Keep in mind that Lobby Day this year is January 16.  We will have our prep meeting on Sunday January 15.  I will send more information on Lobby Day as it gets closer.  

As an aside, I want to report a fantastic ride that I recently had with Jim Cannon , who is the Director of The Virginia Coalition of Motorcyclists, Chad Fuller, the attorney who runs our Columbia South Carolina office and Ralph Bell who is with Abate of South Carolina.  On October 20 we rode down to Jacksonville Florida .  On October 21 we woke up and rode to the beach.  We stuck the toes of our boots in the Atlantic and then jumped on our bikes.  Forty-three hours thirty-six minutes later we stuck the toes of our boots in the Pacific.  On the way back we slowed it down and toured a little of Route 66.  It was a great ride.  

As stated above I will keep you posted on these tickets and I hope to see everyone at Lobby Day in Richmond .  

[ducatiz]

thanks for the headsup.  police ride regularly like this around me, i assume there is a carve-out in the statute that says they can hoon and squid all they like on their electraglides?

[zooom]

if it doesn't work out....an informal protest via bikes lining up 1 behind the other taking up traffic space like a car could be order for to demonstrate the point...I know it has worked with private companies putting motorcycle parking in at malls and so forth when similar things have been done instead of bikes parking 2-6 in a spot together...and I believe it was also done in somewhat of a similar fashion/manner for Montgomery County to recognize and now there are seperate moto parking spots for bike in places like Bethesda for example...just a thought...YMMV of course

[ManaloEA]

Awesome ride Curmudgeon, and thanks for letting us know about Crewe. I often pull up next to another bike at a light, if nothing else just to say hi.

I like the idea of a protest. I could imagine something whereby bikes take up one space each in a parking lot... and get the all (or at least the best) spaces. Wonder if it would be legal to get a bunch of bikes together and take up all the parking spots at the local courthouse in Crewe, and have everybody get there early and mill around for most of the day. One would think that since it is a public parking lot, they cannot deny people from parking their vehicles there as long as they are not abandoned.

[bikepilot]

This has been the law in VA for longer than I've been riding on VA streets (~1999-present).  No lane sharing regardless of whether the other vehicle is a cage or bike. 

I've never seen or heard of it being enforced against bikes that pull up when stopped.  I have known folks to get reckless tickets for riding side by side (like the cops).  Maybe the cops did get upset about riders stopping side by side, but it'll be hard to make that stick.  I suspect there's more to the story.

As far as I can tell traffic laws don't apply to cops 

[ducatiz]

I've never seen or heard of it being enforced against bikes that pull up when stopped.  I have known folks to get reckless tickets for riding side by side (like the cops).  Maybe the cops did get upset about riders stopping side by side, but it'll be hard to make that stick.  I suspect there's more to the story.

of course there is.

revenues are down and police are doing their job scouring the law to see if there is some sort of enforcement they are overlooking.  we act surprised when people get cited for stuff like this, but if it's the law then it's their job to do it.

The correct response isn't to slag the police (NO ONE has done that here) but to slag the lawmakers for making such a law and make them change it.

[The Mad King Pepe']

As far as I can tell traffic laws don't apply to cops 

Can we slag the police for that? Pretty please?

Saw three police bikes riding on the sidewalk near the Kennedy Center on Monday morning.    Unfortunately I was in the cage in stop and go (for a couple inches) traffic, so no helmet cam and no video, but it would have been priceless!

[Raux]

the other aspect of this is that they may be looking at this as a way to prevent drag racing from light to light...

[ducatiz]

the other aspect of this is that they may be looking at this as a way to prevent drag racing from light to light...

William did not mention they were wearing heels.

[Raux]

need a "rimshot" smiley

[ducatiz]

need a "rimshot" smiley

[Raux]

smartaz

[ducatiz]

smartaz

[Curmudgeon]

Awesome ride Curmudgeon, and thanks for letting us know about Crewe. I often pull up next to another bike at a light, if nothing else just to say hi.

I like the idea of a protest. I could imagine something whereby bikes take up one space each in a parking lot... and get the all (or at least the best) spaces. Wonder if it would be legal to get a bunch of bikes together and take up all the parking spots at the local courthouse in Crewe, and have everybody get there early and mill around for most of the day. One would think that since it is a public parking lot, they cannot deny people from parking their vehicles there as long as they are not abandoned.

Should have put quotation marks around that quote! Guess it wasn't clear. NO WAY have I ever been an Ironbutt and in my prime, 500 miles was painful on a BMW RS with an "old school" Corbin. Did 300 miles a month ago and was impressed that I survived that in one day on the 796, which BTW has a Sargent which works fairly well.

Doing a bike protest at a mall or courthouse sounds like a recipe for a bunch of key-scratched tanks IMO. As ducatiz mentioned, the way to deal with this is with your state representatives in Richmond. Obviously, no biker interest group was there to lobby when this sloppy bill was passed. 

Not sure who might be crazy enough to ride side-by-side in the same lane with another rider as it leaves you no escape route. Staggered formation has always been my preference. Most do pull along side on group rides at stops though, if for no other reason than to exchange comments and directions. This I've always done. How a cop then decides that I'm riding two-abrest if I pull up next to a stationary bike in the same lane is beyond me. In future I'll avoid it though and pull onto the shoulder to exchange directions! And when I next see my local state rep., he'll get an earful.  Probably not a great idea to argue with a very rural sheriffs deputy in a county with 15,000 residents!!! Going to VIR on Rt. 360 is already a nail-biter as there seems to be 0 MPH tolerance in the numerous radar traps along there. Nottoway County must be very poor...

[Curmudgeon]

William did not mention they were wearing heels.