Vía públicaMundial

A public road is a road, street, path or other traffic area that is open for use by the public.

No. The carriageway is normally only the part of the road intended primarily for vehicle traffic. The public road can also include cycle paths, pavements, verges and other areas.

Yes. Pavements or sidewalks intended for pedestrians can form part of the public road even though motor vehicles normally may not use them.

Yes. A cycle path can form a separate part of the public road reserved for bicycles and other permitted road users.

Yes. Verges beside the carriageway can form part of the public road and may be subject to specific rules concerning walking, cycling, stopping or parking.

Not necessarily. In some legal systems, whether a road is considered public depends mainly on whether it is open to public traffic rather than simply on who owns the land.

Yes, generally. Road users must comply with the traffic regulations applying to the road and to the particular part of it they are using.

Yes. Cycle paths, pavements, bus lanes, pedestrian areas and other sections may be reserved for specified categories of road users.

Yes. Traffic signs or regulations may prohibit or restrict particular vehicles or road users even though the road remains part of the public-road network.

Yes. Roads can be temporarily closed or restricted because of roadworks, emergencies, events or other traffic-management measures.

It can. A path that is legally open to public traffic may form part of the public-road network even when only pedestrians, cyclists or other limited categories of road users can use it.

Follow the local rules for entering traffic from a driveway, property or other private area. Drivers commonly have to give way to road users already using the public road.