In about one out of ten car-bike collisions, the bicyclist was riding on the sidewalk or on a crosswalk. Bicyclists who habitually ride on the sidewalk and across crosswalks are more at risk of car-bike collisions than those who ride on adjacent roadways. The crash rate per mile for sidewalk riding was 1.8 times greater than the rate for using the adjacent roadway (Wachtel and Lewiston 1994). According to the same study, riding on the sidewalk opposite the flow of traffic is 4.3 times more likely to result in a car-bike collision than riding on the road with the flow of traffic. [my bolding - loq] There is also a heightened risk of colliding with a pedestrian when riding on a sidewalk. However, in the case of a bicycle-motor vehicle crash on a sidewalk or crosswalk, the motorist could be legally at fault, if the cyclist had the right of way. Most states prohibit cycling on sidewalks in business districts. Whether cycling is permitted on other sidewalks often depends on local ordinances.