Drivers are often apprehensive about how to safely pass people bicycling on the road in and around Knoxville. And bicyclists are wary of close passes by drivers – with good cause, as crashes resulting from close passes are very dangerous for people riding bicycles.

Educating drivers and protecting the lives of bicyclists were the goals of research conducted in Knoxville in 2018. The full results of that study were released this month by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Tennessee law and City of Knoxville ordinance require that drivers who are passing bicyclists give at least 3 feet of space. One challenge is making sure drivers are aware of the safety requirement, and another is enforcing the law to help keep people riding bicycles safe. 

As part of this study, the City of Knoxville created a website to share the “Minimum 3 in Tennessee” message, and several officers from the Knoxville Police Department outfitted their bicycles with technology to measure and record the distance of passing vehicles. They used these bicycles for a high-visibility enforcement campaign in which drivers who passed too closely were pulled over and given either warnings or citations, based on the officer’s discretion. 

The NHTSA researchers found that after the enforcement campaign, the average passing distance of drivers increased, and the share of drivers who passed within that dangerous 3-foot zone decreased. 

“City streets need to always be safe for everyone who uses them,” Knoxville Police Chief Eve Thomas said. “We were happy to help gather data for this study and raise awareness of the 3-foot law. And we’re especially happy to see that ongoing enforcement and better public awareness led to safer interactions between motorists and bicyclists.” 

Caroline Cooley, President of the nonprofit organization Bike Walk Knoxville, praised the project as promoting local collaboration with the shared aim of improving safety for bicyclists.

"Not only were the results of the study illuminating, but the process of conducting this research helped to strengthen collaboration and communication between Bike Walk Knoxville, community cyclists, and law enforcement,” Cooley said. “Furthermore, by experiencing close passes firsthand, the law enforcement officers participating in the study gained a deeper understanding of the challenges cyclists face when commuting." 

The City of Knoxville and Bike Walk Knoxville partnered with NHTSA on the research, along with the Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization (TPO). 

Bike Walk Knoxville helped to recruit many of the bicyclists who participated in the research. They rode in Knoxville for several months prior to the enforcement campaign with equipment on their bikes to collect data on passing distances. The information they collected helped to measure how driver behavior changed after the enforcement campaign. 

To view the full report, as well as a summary of the findings, visit the TPO’s webpage dedicated to bicycling and walking plans and studies. For more information on traffic crashes in Knoxville and the surrounding region, visit the TPO’s crash analysis page.

About Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization:

The Knoxville Regional Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) coordinates a comprehensive, multimodal transportation planning process for the Knoxville Urban Area. Member jurisdictions include Knox County and the urbanized areas of Anderson, Blount, Loudon and Sevier Counties and includes the following cities: Alcoa, Clinton, Knoxville, Lenoir City, Loudon, Maryville and Oak Ridge, the Town of Farragut, Tennessee Department of Transportation and East Tennessee Development District. For more information, visit TPO's website: www.knoxtpo.org