Investigator Finds No Evidence Of Bicycle Accident On Birchwood Pike

According to TCA 55-8-101, a bicycle is a vehicle (read the definition of Bicycle and Vehicle), and roads are constructed for vehicular traffic. Legally, bicyclists have a legal right to be on the road.

Additionally, adult bicycle riders own cars and pay taxes. Child bicycle riders have adult parent(s) who own cars and pay taxes. They own the road as much as any other citizen. They have an ownership right to be on the road.

So far as passing is concerned, TCA 55-8-117, 55-8-119, 55-8-120 outline how a vehicle is to pass and require safety in passing. The situation described in this and other letters violate those laws because the vehicle passing is not doing so safely. Any resulting accident is, or will be, the responsibility of the vehicle driver passing, not the one being passed. That responsibility includes any criminal or civil penalties.

Threatening another vehicle operator on the road is Road Rage.

All this does not mean car drivers who hate bicyclists have no recourse. They should write and call the Metropolitan Planning Organization. The MPO has a plan for bicycle lanes and roads throughout Hamilton County and Chattanooga that has not been implemented. Bicyclists ride the roads because they have no choice. There is nowhere else to ride. Tell the MPO you want more bicycle lanes and roads so bicycle traffic does not have to mix with automobile traffic.

I have to drive Suck Creek Road and mtn daily, weekends included. Bikes are ridden here a lot. Although I have to give it to them for their physical stamina to get up that steep, twisty mtn, I wish they could do it without riding in the middle of the road, two abreast at times. It is impossible to pass them on all the blind curves, and it makes one wonder...is this their intention? Can they keep it to the side and in line? It would make it a lot safer for all that have to travel that mtn. And, while on the topic, I do have to also give them the thanks they deserve for getting out there at regular intervals and cleaning up all the thrown out trash from cars. They do a really good job.

I think, and correct me if I am wrong, but bike and cars don't mix. The car will win everytime... So, use a little commons sense when riding bikes, motorcycles, etc. It is hard to see something smaller than a car on the road in the first place and especially when they get in your blind spot. I have a father that rides a motorcycle, so I try to be especially "aware" of cyclists. However, I have pulled out in front of one---even though I TRY to watch for them. There is no other explanation other than they are small and are hard to be seen.

Are you kidding me? I drive a motorcycle full-ime so believe me, I'm all about making the 4_wheelers respect the others on the road. This, however, is obviously a case of at the least, the guy was spooked by something that corresponded to the truck w/ trailer passing him, or at the worse this guy is a frustrated money-grabber, I lean towards the latter with how insistant he is with the exaggerations and blatant lies. Perhaps if we actually made him pay all the costs associated with his false report others would not be so quick to jump on that wagon.

Oh, Boo Hoo Hoo. Is this the same Birchwood Pike that leads to the County dump, where every giant forty-ton garbage truck in the world operates? Guy oughta have his head examined for riding there in the first place.

If you want to get away with an assault or homicide in this county just make sure that your intended victim is riding on two wheels. Nothing will ever happen to you.