Slow down and leave room when you pass a walker

You are riding on a path that people also walk on, and someone is ahead of you with their back to you. You have probably heard two opposite rules: call out so you do not startle them, and do not call out because it startles them. Both can be true on the same afternoon, which is why this page starts somewhere else.

When you come up behind someone walking on a shared path, slow down first, let them know you are there early and calmly, and pass with as much room as you can.

The slowing and the room work whether or not the walker hears you. The signal is a courtesy that sometimes lands and sometimes does not, so do not rest the whole pass on it.

What the official guidance says

The UK Highway Code, Rule 63, tells cyclists in places shared with pedestrians to take care when passing them, especially children, older adults or disabled people, to slow down when necessary and let them know you are there, for example by ringing a bell or calling out politely, and not to pass closely or at high speed, particularly from behind. It adds that a walker may be deaf, blind or partly sighted and that this may not be obvious. Rule 62, for cycle tracks shared with pedestrians, says to allow them plenty of room and be ready to slow down and stop.

In the US, NHTSA, the federal road-safety agency, says in its advice for anyone who must ride on a sidewalk to pass pedestrians with care by first announcing “on your left” or “passing on your left”, or to use a bell. It also says to avoid or minimise sidewalk riding in the first place, and to check your law. Virginia’s transportation department goes further for its own state: on sidewalks and shared paths, cyclists must yield to pedestrians and give an audible signal before passing. The US Federal Highway Administration, in its guidance on sidewalks and trails, says a lack of communication between path users is the root of many clashes, and that an overtaking cyclist might use a call or a bell, while noting that a Deaf or hard-of-hearing person might not detect the bell.

So the official line is to let them know, and the UK rules add the slowing and the room. What neither settles is how.

How people split on the call

Some people say to announce yourself before you pass, so you do not startle a walker, and that the wording matters. Some people have been on the receiving end and say a call from behind can make a walker jump, freeze, turn around, or step the wrong way. One person pointed out that “on your left” tells the walker where you will be and is not an order, but some people say they have still moved toward the wrong side. One person says announcing yourself matters because a startled walker may react with a reflexive swing. One person suggests “coming up on your left”, and another mentions “coming through”.

Some people prefer a bell. One person says it carries further and needs no words to decode, and another says it tells the walker what is coming and avoids the confusion of spoken directions. Some people warn it can scare someone if you ring it at the last second. The US Federal Highway Administration adds that a person who is Deaf or hard of hearing might not hear a bell. One person says a loud cough from a distance can give walkers time to see you and step aside on their own.

Whether a call, a bell or silence works better depends on the path and the person, and this page cannot settle that for yours. One person argues the opposite way: that a slow, quiet pass with as much room as possible is safer than a call, and kinder to older or cautious walkers. The official guidance above says to let them know, so this page does not tell you to pass in silence. The Highway Code is plain that you should not pass closely or at high speed, particularly from behind.

One person puts it as a matter of whose job it is: the person moving faster has to manage their speed and route, and it is not the walker’s job to react quickly. Another says that if you feel you need to shout, you are probably going too fast for where you are.

When the path is crowded

One person says shouting is out of place in a park with children and strollers, and that there the better move is to slow right down or get off and walk the bike. If you cannot stop within the space you can see, a call does not make the pass safe. The Highway Code says to always be ready to slow down and stop, and getting off to walk past costs you a few seconds.

If you are the one walking

Some people say walkers help by keeping to a straight line and avoiding sudden stops or swerves, because unpredictable movement raises the risk of a crash; one person says to carry on with what you were doing rather than react to a warning. One person says walkers, especially those with dogs, should check behind them now and then and keep the dog close, though they appreciate a warning if they miss a rider. Some people say that on a shared path a walker who is standing or moving slowly does not have to get out of a rider’s way, and that the rider has to find a way around. The guidance above puts the care on the rider, and local rules differ. If a rider startled you, that is not a sign you did something wrong.

Who this page is not for

If you ride on roads with cars, this page does not help with where to position yourself in a lane, how drivers pass, crosswalk rules, or who is at fault in a collision. In the UK, the Highway Code (Rule 64) says you must not cycle on a pavement; this page is about shared paths and tracks where cycling is allowed. It also does not tell you whether sidewalk riding is legal where you live in the US; NHTSA says to avoid or minimise sidewalk riding and to check your law first, and one person warns that riding fast on a sidewalk is unsafe because of the people on it. If you are riding fast, the Highway Code’s line about not passing at high speed applies to you.

If you are a walker with a hearing or sight difference, a call or a bell may not reach you. This page can only ask riders to slow down and leave room.