WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
2024 REGULAR SESSION
Committee Substitute for House Bill 4885
By Delegates Summers, Mallow, Phillips, Tully, Horst,
and Cooper [Originating in the Committee on the Judiciary;
Reported on February 2, 2024]
 CS for HB 4885
1 A BILL to amend and reenact §17C-10-6 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating
2 to prohibiting unlawful traffic interference; creating the offense of unlawful traffic
3 interference; creating criminal penalties; and providing exceptions.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
ARTICLE 10. PEDESTRIANS' RIGHTS AND DUTIES.
§17C-10-6. Pedestrians on roadways; soliciting rides; unlawful traffic interference.
1 (a) Where sidewalks are provided it shall be unlawful for any pedestrian to walk along and
2 upon an adjacent roadway.
3 (b) Where sidewalks are not provided any pedestrian walking along and upon a highway
4 shall when practicable walk only on the left side of the roadway or its shoulder facing traffic which
5 may approach from the opposite direction.
6 (c) No person shall stand in a roadway for the purpose of soliciting a ride from the driver of
7 any vehicle.
8 (d)(1) No person may intentionally or recklessly impede vehicular traffic by walking,
9 standing, sitting, kneeling, lying, or placing an object in such a manner as to block passage of a
10 vehicle on a roadway.
11 (2) The prohibitions in this subsection shall not apply to:
12 (A) A person who, by permit or otherwise, has permission to operate in the roadway from
13 an appropriate governmental authority, including a law-enforcement officer;
14 (B) A person who operates in the roadway to direct traffic away from a hazardous road
15 condition, an obstacle, or the scene of an accident; or
16 (C) A law-enforcement officer or emergency medical services personnel acting in their
17 official capacity.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to prohibit persons from sitting, standing, kneeling, or laying down in the roadway for the purpose of blocking traffic.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.
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Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 17C-10-6
Committee Substitute: 17C-10-6