Update: Another Local Cyclist Hit By A Vehicle

If that driver swerved into him on purpose it should be considered attempted murder or least assualt with a deadly weapon. Just becasue you are mad you can't run over people.

The danger is one way danger. If I am riding up a mountain, I will of course be going a great deal slower and hence you will pass me with a greater speed differential. I have never ridden up the W-road, but I have ridden DOWN it. That's a lot of fun. I have also had to break for those drivers who are going really slow down these raods. Suck Creek, Signal Mtn.... You guys drive way too slow for a cyclist on these roads when heading down. I could easily have passed a few cars on my bike, but I don't because it is illegal. I wonder how many drivers would avoid passing me when it's not legal? I'm thinking of a number......

Betty:
You are not completely right. I have MY bike insured, with the same insurance company that insures my car. Bicycles can be added on to existing auto or homeowners insurance policies, even renter's insurance will cover bicycles. Most cyclists are not aware of this, perhaps if more knew, they would have their bikes insured.
Adding a bike to your insurance policy saves the trouble of registering your bike. Most communities gave up bike registrations many years ago. The insurance company has the exact same information on file: Make , Model , Color and Serial Number of the bike, with the owner's name and address.

I ride a bicycle about forty miles a week. I drive too. I used to ride more, but I'm getting older. Back in the day I could ride faster than the thirty MPH speed limit, but the speeders make the effort worth nothing.
I know some bicyclists have a more extreme position than I do. I watch my rear view mirror, and I judge each passing car on a case by case basis. I almost always pull over and slow or stop to let large trucks go by. Trucks are completely different than personal automobiles. While in many cases, an individual driving a car could make the same trip on a bike, this does not hold true for trucks. It would be hard for a truck driver to carry 40,000 pounds of produce, or lumber, or furniture, or anything, in a trailer behind a bicycle. I say this because many cyclists say that car trips are unnecessary and a bicycle could do the job. Not true with trucks.
Trucks are also a lot wider than a car, about three feet wider. In terms of the three-foot-passing law; if the cars are passing three feet from your bike, then the next large truck is going to sideswipe you. (Assuming there is traffic coming the other way and they can't cross the double yellow.)
My advice: Get a rear-view mirror for your bike and move over to let trucks go by.

coming down on shallowford that turns into Wilcox thru the tunnel there was a person riding a bike the clearing states that a bike and walking thru wilcox tunnel was against the law as we come to the outer part of the tunnel the bikes decided to get on the highway which made the car in front of me hit their breaks and all cars behind me had to stop the biker then move on into the traffic along wilcox until Holclaw avenue where he turn on the sidewalk in the middle of traffic this is why most bikers get hit but we as car riders are to blame I understand that everyone have a right to the highway as i do but we should all excerise all of our ability to look out for the other person

I have been on roads in Birchwood when Bicyclist are on the road. They ride right in the middle of the lane. They do not even try to move out of a vehicles way. If a motorist is able to be fined on the 3 foot law, Bicyclist need to have laws when riding on highways. A car goes much faster than a bicycle. I do not think motorist should have to drive two miles an hour just because they do not want to get out of the way.

Bicyclists are legal and valid users of the roadway. Laws such as speed limits are there to allow safe approach and passing of a bicyclist, and to avoid other things like rocks, debris, wrecked cars that might also be on those curvy roads. You approach fixed objects much faster than a bicycle moving in the same direction.

While you're outlawing bicycles, outlaw tractors, motor homes, motorcycles, horses, motor scooters, and everyone else that can't keep up with your speed. But before you do, enforce the laws that we have.

Passing on double yellow, no, you can't usually pass a bicyclist on a narrow double yellow. You do technically have to wait until the dashed. But on most roads, you can wait 15 seconds and find a safe place to pass a slow moving bicyclist even on an extended double yellow.

Bicycles belong on all roads, other than interstates (which are actually quite good bicycling roads if they were indeed legal! Wide shoulders, wide lanes, slow grades.)

I agree with several of you that there are certain roads that they should not be allowed on, especially the one's with the curves, etc., because 9 times out of 10 on Pine Grove Road in Ringgold, GA., everytime there is a cyclist on the road they will not move over, they expect the cars to line up behind them and when they decide to let them by they will, or if you happen to come upon an area where you can see if front of you for a distance and nothing is coming the other way, you can pass on the wrong side of the road. I'm all for them riding their bikes but there needs to be laws for the motor vehicles not just the cyclists.

Add four more roads: Apison Road, Lee Highway, Ooltewah Ringgold Road and Ooltewah Georgetown Road.
There are few shoulders on these roads and many, many ditches on either side of these roads. There is no where to go if you meet traffic of they have traffic lined up behind them. It never ceases to amaze me that
they ride for the exercise and fresh air in TRAFFIC! Gimme a break. I do watch out for them but they sure make me nervous.

i think every doubled line road should not be shared with bicyclist. it is illegal to pass a car on a road like that, what makes a bicycle any different?

I agree, there are roads that are too dangerous for both bicyclists and vehicles to be on at the same time. Browntown Rd (and other backroads in Red Bank) is one I drive on all the time speed limit is 40 but has hairpin curves. It is very dangerous because its impossible and unexpected to see a cyclist (or large group of cyclists) in those sharp curves. These cyclists commonly go 5mph vs a vehicle coming along at 30-40mph. Not a good equation. NTM - It is a huge gamble if you try to pass them and hope there's not another car approaching in the opposing lane.
Frankly I'm surprised there have not been MORE accidents. The city needs to make a bicycle lane on our roads or ban cyclists from dangerous roads altogether.
The person in the original story says he was yelling at the driver several times before he got struck... one would question if it was obvious that a hit was imminent why did the bicyclist not attempt to avoid it? I mean, I'd rather hit the brakes or swerve than get clipped by a car. I think there is definitely more to this story and would love to hear the driver's side of what happened. I'm sure the officer had valid reasons for not issuing a citation, if for example there was no evidence of any actual contact and there is only the bicyclist's word against the driver's.
Sorry but there is no sympathy here for cyclists who intentionally ride on potentially dangerous roads and endanger their lives plus the lives of anyone else on the road.

I agree with the original comment. That there are roads in Chattanooga not designed to be shared with bicyclists. And since bicycling remains pretty much new to the Chattanooga area, it is better to safe than sorry. I've personally witnessed bicyclists cutting across lanes of flowing traffic without notice to get into a left turning lane. A certain too close for comfort tragedy if the cars hadn't already been going at a slower speed because there was a traffic light they were approaching.

Some bicyclists act like the dreaded cellphone drivers who drive while talking on their cellphones. It seems they actually get so involved in conversation they forget they are driving on the road with others. Even police talking on cellphone drive recklessly. Some bicyclists seem to become so involved in their bicycling that they seem to tend to forget they are sharing the road with vehicles that may weigh several tons against their few pounds only bike.

I always get nervous when I'm near someone bicycling because it's much harder to predict what they might do. Jump out in front of you without notice or what. I treat them as if I'd treat a child I saw playing close to the road--in that that child might suddenly dart out into the street without notice. I always try to reduce my speed to lower than school zone level when encountering a bicyclist. Then proceed to pass by getting as far left to them as possible, even if it means getting over into the far left lane if there is no oncoming traffic. That's just a rule I made up for myself because I've personally witnessed so many close encounters involving other drivers and bicyclists.

there are main streets with emergency pull offs yet they still want to ride the middle of the road and will not let you pass. there have been times that i have been late to work because these thoughtless people will not get over enough to let a motorist pass. if they would be considerate enough to just get over some where close to the white line so someone can pass then maybe people can get to where they are going and less bicyclist injured in the process...

BICYCLES ARE NOT LICENSED OR INSURED FOR ROAD USE. THAT IS PERIOD, END OF SUBJECT. YES, THERE SHOULD BE AREAS FOR THEIR BENEFIT, BUT NOT PUBLIC HIGHWAYS. IT IS AGAINST TENNESSEE STATE LAWS TO TRAVEL WITH OUT INSURANCE. THERE ARE ALSO MINIMUN SPEED REGULATIONS. GET A GRIP, IF YOU ARE NOT MOTORIZED, INSURED, AND CANNOT KEEP THE SPEED LIMIT - STAY OFF THE ROADS.

I REALLY THINK THAT THERE ARE SOME ROADS IN CHATTANOOGA NOT MEANT TO BE SHARED WITH BICYCLISTS. BIRCHWOOD PIKE WOULD BE ONE OF THEM. BANKS RD... THE S-CURVES & THE W-ROAD. LAWMAKERS & THE PUBLIC BOTH NEED TO MARK & RESPECT ROADS THAT ARE SAFE FOR BICYCLISTS (AND THOSE "NOT-SO MUCH")BECAUSE APPARENTLY THERE ARE SOME OUT THERE WHO CAN'T TELL THE DIFFERENCE.... KINDA REMINDS ME OF A BILL ENGVALL JOKE..... "HERE'S YOUR SIGN"....