Nashville's local news and NPR station

Soon Veering Into A Bike Lane Could Cost Tennessee Drivers $50

By

Tennessee lawmakers have proposed making it a misdemeanor to swerve into a bike lane unless it's an emergency. Credit: Elvert Barnesvia Flickr
Share:

Drivers who veer into a bike lane could soon face a $50 fine.

The Tennessee Senate approved the penalty Monday afternoon. The measure is meant to discourage drivers from swerving into bike lanes to pass other cars, says state Sen. Becky Duncan Massey, R-Knoxville, one of the proposal’s sponsors.

“This is about safety,” says Massey. She notes 120 people were killed in Tennessee while walking or biking last year, a 20-year high.

Senate Bill 1697 would allow drivers to cross into bike lanes only to avoid a crash, move out of the way of an emergency vehicle, get into a parking spot or complete a turn. It makes violations a Class C misdemeanor, the lowest level in Tennessee.

The state House of Representatives has not yet taken a final vote on the proposal.

Filed Under: Politics, WPLN News Tagged With:

Nashville Public Radio in your inbox

Sign up to get the NashVillager each weekday morning.

Chas Sisk, Senior Editor

Chas joined WPLN in 2015 and became an editor in 2018. Previously, he covered state politics for Nashville Public Radio and The Tennessean, and he’s also reported on communities, politics and business for a variety of publications in Massachusetts, New York and Washington, D.C. Chas grew up in South Carolina and attended Columbia University, where he studied economics and journalism.

on-air light On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM

Loading schedule...