Death Of Bicyclist, David Meek, May Generate "Road Rules" Education Campaign

Chattanooga's bicycling community appears united, following the death of one of their own.  Philip Grymes of Outdoor Chattanooga says "it really is just a sad unfortunate tragedy, what happened to David, and yes he was one of the more experienced commuters."

David Meek died Friday when a box truck on Ashland Terrace caught his saddle bag, pulling him off his bike and to the ground.

Chattanooga's Bicycle task force hopes to find grant programs to fund road improvements for bikes.  Signage and striping could make roads safer, when widening proves too costly.  Task Force Member David Baird says "we need to have a real serious discussion because of these events with the Tennessee Department of Transportation."

This debate may boil down to driver behavior versus road issues. While improvements can be made to our infrastructure, some motorists still don't know bikes belong on the roads too.

Meek's death may spark a public education campaign about the rights of bicyclists.  Task force members want to place billboards throughout town sharing the rules of the road.  Grymes says "its hard for a cyclist to plead to the vehicular community to give the respect and give the clearance we need when they're not really sure what we're doing in the first place."

Cyclists point to the lack of information and enforcement of Tennessee's three-foot law.  Motorists face a misdemeanor when they're closer than three-feet to a cyclist when passing.

Cyclists admit, they're at fault too.  Grymes says some cyclists run red lights or ride on the sidewalk, making motorists further confused about where bikes fit in.