Pedestrians shall not use the roadways for travel, except when necessary to do so because of the absence of sidewalks which are reasonably suitable and passable for their use. If they walk on the hard surface, or the main travelled portion of the roadway, they shall keep to the extreme left side or edge thereof, or where the shoulders of the highway are of sufficient width to permit, they may walk on either shoulder thereof. Pedestrians walking on a roadway shall face oncoming traffic.

However, when walking on a roadway that is part of a highway divided by a physical barrier or barriers or an unpaved area, and when there are no shoulders of the highway present, pedestrians may keep to the extreme right side or edge of the roadway, regardless of the direction of traffic they face.

Code 1950, § 46-247; 1950, p. 850; 1958, c. 541, § 46.1-234; 1968, c. 165; 1989, c. 727; 2026, c. 431.