Tennessee cracking down on Tail of the Dragon
For those who don't know, the Tail of the Dragon at Deals Gap in Tennessee is one of, if not the greatest, driving roads in the world. Containing 318 curves in an 11-mile stretch, the Tail is visited by both car enthusiasts and motor cyclists from all over the globe. While it brings a healthy amount of tourist dollars to the region, the curvy two-lane road that runs on US-129 has effectively been shut down by an overbearing Tennessee Highway Patrol.
Apparently the governor of Tennessee, Phil Bredesen, has instituted a program to reduce traffic deaths and accidents on US 129, and so the 11-mile stretch known as the Tail of the Dragon has been saturated with Tennessee Highway Patrol officers writing tickets at a hand-cramping rate. The situation has gotten so bad, US 129 is now being called Tennessee's newest toll road. The Tail of the Dragon website is keeping a running list of tickets that have been issued and why, and the reasons are rather ridiculous. Cars and motorcycles are being ticketed for literally just touching the double yellow line that indicates no passing allowed. Tickets for going 5 mph above the posted 30 mph limit are also supposedly common. And then there are reports of blatant harrassment, with THP officers caught tailgating drivers for miles and threatening arrest for minor violations.
Enthusiasts and those invested in the health of the region are trying to fight the crackdown, even keeping an ongoing photo archive of THP cruisers breaking the law themselves. Alas, authorities have not relented and will reportedly be watching the Dragon like a hawk for at least the next month.
[Source: Tail of the Dragon]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
J Bagwell 4:41PM (4/23/2008)
I am all for the control of the road. 2 crotch rockets crossed over the double yellow line and into the middle of my lane and left me no where to go but the ditch where i broke 3 ribs; no they did not stop to check n me. 4 or 5 low riders stopped and helped me. The dragon was not the best ride of the day, getting there on 178 from Pickens to 64 was the better ride. Also, try hwy 25 S out of Leeds Ala. Both are more difficult and the riders obey the law.
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Mark 12:02PM (9/21/2008)
As far as I'm concerned, the Tennessee state Troopers should put more officers on the Dragon. My wife and I drove up there this week, first by pickup truck and later by motorcycle. We saw multiple instances of people speeding, and crossing the double yellow line to pass. We personally were harrassed in our truck by a man on a crotch rocket behind us who repeatedly beeped his horn in an attempt to get us to pull over. Then he passed us, and slowed down and motioned for us to pull over. We did not, and after a few nervous minutes he drove off. These people who think that a US highway with a posted speed limit and double yellow lines is their personal racetrack need to have their license revoked. To walk is a right, to drive is a privilige. My hats are off to the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
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Jon 12:17PM (8/24/2007)
What a Shame! I was there just 2 months ago. True I saw a Pontiac Solstice upside down, but it was raining and hailing. Personally, my Camaro Loved IT.
Hopefully next time I tackle the dragon there is less fuzz, and less rain.
Free the DRAGON!
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CaliberSRT4 12:17PM (8/24/2007)
That's the reason for why I hate cops.
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calebe 12:22PM (8/24/2007)
Just one more reason not to go thru Tennesuckey.
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Dave 12:23PM (8/24/2007)
I don't know about the states, but here in canada a double yellow line means that passing is allowed but not advised. Crossing a white line on the other hand, is illegal and a driver doing so can be ticketed. For future reference, is crossing a double yellow in the states illegal?, or has the police department made it illegal just on this road because of high accident rates?
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mavkato 12:34PM (8/24/2007)
in the US, double solid yellow indicates no passing. passing is allowed only if there is a dashed yellow line.
Cly 2:26PM (8/24/2007)
I'm not sure which country but that's not Canada, maybe it's Quebec? I work in the provincial court, traffic department in BC and it clearly states here that double yellow lines - no passing. No turning. Double with breaks on your side you can pass, if safe to do so.
Barney 4:56PM (8/24/2007)
Dave, not all provinces will agree with you. Passing on a double solid line is an offense as is a white line.. I don't know what province you are from BUT be careful in every other one.
Dave 5:33PM (8/24/2007)
I'm in Ontario and thats the law. i was taught it at Young Drivers Training Centre and when i got my license i asked the examiner and they confirmed it. In Ontario any road postings that are yellow are suggested while white postings are legal. White speed limit signs are the legal speed limit while yellow are suggested.
Barney 10:02AM (8/25/2007)
"any road postings" not lines.
Bevill 12:25PM (8/24/2007)
I find it ironic that the picture in the story shows the cop crossing the double yellow which is something they're fond of writing tickets for.
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jg 12:30PM (8/24/2007)
Sorry Allanis but that's not irony.
In an age of tax cuts counties have to make money somehow right? Maybe they'll use the money to keep a bridge from falling into a river.
Rob 12:59PM (8/24/2007)
JG- They already make money, through taxes. The problem is states spend their budgets from the department of transportation on stupid things.... the bridge you mentioned in MN for example. It was found that MN spent MILLIONS of it's transportation fund on a new stadium. Why? Because they wanted a new stadium. If the government quit pissing away money stupidly they wouldn't have to write tickets to try to stay afloat.
Rob 1:00PM (8/24/2007)
JG- They already make money, through taxes. The problem is states spend their budgets from the department of transportation on stupid things.... the bridge you mentioned in MN for example. It was found that MN spent MILLIONS of it's transportation fund on a new stadium. Why? Because they wanted a new stadium. If the government quit pissing away money stupidly they wouldn't have to write tickets to try to stay afloat.
jg 1:18PM (8/24/2007)
The problem is that because of 30 years of TAX CUTS RULE ALL!1!one! there isn't enough money in tax revenues so they have to pick and choose projects to spend the money on. And its always high profile projects. Senators and reps get re-elected because they got the new stadium or funding for a new highways to the suburbs instead of getting money for maintenance of infrastructure.
Kash 12:35PM (8/24/2007)
In California, crossing a single set of double yellows is only legal when entering a driveway or exiting a driveway. It is not legal for passing, making a u-turn, etc.
Anyways, just another example of our nanny-state. Putting safety over freedom.
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Maestro1 5:20PM (8/24/2007)
That's a bit ignorant isn't it?
Of course the state is gonna cite safety over freedom, considering the amount of crashes that there are in the US per year. I mean when you really look at it, most people don't know how to use their turn indicators properly, let alone drive properly. The driving tests are very lax (especially if you compare them to Europe's driving tests) and there are no proper passing rules and enforcement on the freeways - everybody passes in every lane!
I do agree with the 'nanny state' enforcing that rule, however I am against them tightening their grip on the Tail of the Dragon...its one of the few great roads in the region as it is (I love in Florida btw).
Maestro1 5:22PM (8/24/2007)
Correction: *live
Tom 12:32PM (8/24/2007)
hello internal affairs
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