Skateboards Are Not The Problem (We Are)

Q: How are they going to reduce accidents to zero when they don’t stop skateboarding period? There should be laws in place to stop people from riding skateboards either on the road or on sidewalks. I have been hit by somebody’s skateboard on the sidewalk while walking my dog, and my dog has been hit by skateboarders. Skate parks should by the only place you can ride a skateboard. It should be required by law that if a person wants to be skateboarding in the road then they need a driver’s license, license plates, registration, and insurance on the skateboard. Could that become a law?

A: Before we tackle the possibility of changing the laws about skateboards, let’s first review what the laws are now. Yes, I’m putting off dealing with the hard part, but it’s also good to start with what we know. According to Washington State law, a skateboarder is a pedestrian. It might not fit your (or the dictionary’s) definition, but our law includes, in addition to the normally understood meaning, any person who is using “a means of conveyance propelled by human power other than a bicycle.” Skateboards, kick scooters, roller blades, wheelchairs; using any of them qualifies you as a pedestrian.

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Skateboarders and Traffic Laws

Q: What are the Rules for skateboarders? Can they (should they?) use bicycle lanes? What about being on a roadway where there are no bicycle lanes? Do they need to obey traffic signals & signs? Should vehicles yield to them, as we do for pedestrians? Thank you for any hints & tips you can provide.

A: There are a couple issues that complicate our understanding with where skateboarders fit into the transportation spectrum. The first is that it’s hard to even find any state laws specifically about skateboards. That’s because skateboards actually fit into the definition of pedestrians in Washington’s traffic laws. The legislators expanded the traditional definition of a pedestrian (a person who travels by foot) and includedmeans of conveyance propelled by human power other than a bicycle.” (RCW 46.04.400) Whether you’re on a skateboard, roller skates, pogo stick or a red wagon, you’re a pedestrian in the eyes of the law. So let’s go through the questions within the original question and see what’s required for skateboarders. Continue reading “Skateboarders and Traffic Laws”