Longboarding in a city can be difficult and dangerous owing to heavy traffic, numerous obstructions of all kinds, and uneven pavement or sidewalk surfaces outside of designated bike lanes and municipal park trails.
And also, there are several laws on longboarding, according to the city where you live. So a question arises: can you even longboard on a sidewalk or not?
If you are one of those asking that question, don’t worry; we’ve got you covered. We are going to discuss the same thing in this article. So without wasting time, let us dive straight into this topic.
Contents
Can You Longboard on Sidewalks?
As with the increase in the popularity of longboarding, people have started to longboard in the city, and there is a pretty good reason behind it. You could ride your longboard to work every day from outside the city or across it from one end to the other.
Alternatively, you may use a longboard to navigate your university’s urban campus. Some also use it for daily transportation. Sidewalks are one of the most popular routes. As far as the question of “Can you longboard on a sidewalk?” goes, yes, you can.
Many longboarders like you are under the impression that they are not permitted to ride on sidewalks. Keep in mind that “personal conveyances” include longboards, roller skates, pedestrians, and wheelchairs for the disabled.
As a result, as long as you give way to other pedestrians, you have every right to ride a bicycle on a public sidewalk. In general, it’s a good idea to yield to traffic that is traveling more slowly than you.
1. Be Careful
It’s usually difficult to longboard on a congested or crowded sidewalk. You must pay attention to the speed and direction of people walking in front of you, on either side of you, and even behind you (in case you need to brake).
Additionally, you must constantly use your body language (eyes, posture) to signal your path to approaching pedestrians to prevent them from becoming startled and abruptly swerving to the side.
Even if you’re running huge, soft wheels, you still need to watch out for larger crevices on the sidewalk to avoid catching a wheel. Here are some etiquettes and unspoken rules for longboarding in cities.
2. Some Rules You Should Follow
Here are some suggestions for safe longboarding in public or in cities.
- If you are approaching from behind a pedestrian on a sidewalk, shout out and let them know which side you will be passing them on.
- Wear luminous material and use a light when riding at night to make yourself visible to other cars and pedestrians as it can prevent accidents.
- Assume that no one can see you (because pedestrians and drivers rarely do). You never know when a car will drive out of an alleyway or when a parked car door may open as you are passing.
- Watch carefully for canines and felines. When you pass by, they occasionally don’t know how to respond and either act aggressively or block your path. As a general rule, stop and walk with your board.
- Simply stop and walk while on your board if there isn’t enough space to ride past people on the sidewalk. The risks of biking in a busy location are not worth taking.
- Stay away from young children and the elderly. Around others, it can be challenging to make fast movements, and kids might be unexpected and suddenly dart in front of you.
Besides this, there are also some rules and regulations on longboarding in many cities, that you should follow. Those are written below.
Some Laws On Longboarding
If you are longboarding with a group of individuals in New York (state), you are only permitted to ride alongside one individual. One of you must ride in front of or behind the other two if there are three of you riding together.
It is against the law to longboard on sidewalks in Duluth, Minnesota, until after 6:30 o’clock. In some areas of the city, skateboarding is now fully prohibited by legislation that has been established.
Unfortunately, things are made worse by Alabama, which forbids the usage of skateboards and longboards in any location that is designated for commerce. Normally, all you need is the landowner’s consent, but if you’re in town, you might want to leave the board at home.
Safety Measures
Alongside these rules, there are some safety measures you should follow.
1. Path Adaption
You must maintain flexibility when longboarding in city traffic when deciding how to travel from point A to point B.
For instance, if the normal route you take involves a steep slope and multiple traffic lights but there is particularly heavy traffic, you might want to take a different route. You might use the sidewalks or navigate through smaller streets.
2. Towed riding
It may be tempting in a city to just join a slowly moving car or bus and let it pull you through the streets on your path to save time and effort.
This is obviously a risky pastime because the car or bus might suddenly stop or turn, knocking you off your board or possibly running you over.
3. Helmets and Other Safety Gears
When longboarding in the city, it is obvious wisdom to wear a helmet, especially if you are going through traffic. Equip other safety gear like a skate tool and a first aid kit.
Is A Longboard Suitable For City Use?
Longboarding is mostly used for transportation and cruising. When it comes to riding on the street, its design is ideal. Even on a rougher surface, it is pleasant and simple to manage because of its design, flexible vehicle, and soft wheels.
Is Longboarding On Slick And Wet Surfaces Okay Or Not?
Longboarding is indeed doable in the wet. But you must first comprehend a few essential details in order to avoid hurting yourself. To prevent it from being ruined, it would be beneficial if you also followed certain safety measures before riding in the rain.
Read More:
Conclusion
As for the question that goes “Can you longboard on the sidewalk? “actually, you can ride on a sidewalk; there is no law or anything that can prevent you from doing that.
But you have to take care of the etiquette and safety measures that are described in this article. We hope this article about longboarding on a sidewalk has helped you a lot.
