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Bicycle Laws Ignored?

Bernadette Jay
Eyewitness News Reporter

Reggie Coleman
Eyewitness News Photographer

HAMILTON COUNTY (WRCB) Life as a police officer is dangerous enough, but some might argue it's even more so for a police officer on bike patrol. Chattanooga officer Jeremy Eames says even those who enforce the "3 Foot Law" don't seem protected by it.

"I personally haven't had any close calls. We have had some guys who've had some close calls. And obviously that's a great time to make a traffic stop" said Jeremy Eames of the Chattanooga Police Department.

But Eames is the first to admit it's one that's hard to enforce.

"If we don't see that offense happen, it's difficult for us to enforce it" said Eames.

Eyewitness News did some checking with the Hamilton County Sheriff's office and discovered the county hasn't issued a single "3 foot law" citation since the law was passed in 2007. We wanted to find out why.

"It's very hard to do. The officer has to be in the right place and he has to observe a vehicle not giving the cyclist three feet. And if there's on coming traffic, it's hard for the motorist" said Dusty Stokes of the Hamilton County Sheriff's Deparment.

Long time cyclist Ed Rusk told Eyewitness News a truck brushed up against him while he was cycling on Birchwood Pike Sunday. There were eyewitnesses but never a written citation.

"The officer told me that he didn't even know about the law until our friend David Meek's death! That's when he learned about it! So, even within their department their not educating their own" said Rusk.

The sheriff's department is vowing to make a change.

"I'm sure after the latest with the cyclist incident that will be initiated into our training program" said Stokes.

The Birchwood Pike incident is still under investigation. And today, the sheriff's department told us they're going to start cracking down on the three foot law. Eyewitness News requested the number of citations from the city. That information will be released Friday.