The Incident
On a road in Tennessee, USA, a cyclist endured a terrifying encounter with an aggressive driver. The video shows the motorist leaning on the horn for an extended stretch before cutting across the rider in a dangerous right hook.
Despite the clear video evidence, when the rider reported the incident to the local Sheriff’s office, the response was chilling: “You should carry a gun.”
The Backstory
This wasn’t the first time the rider faced road rage. Back in 2017, while riding tandem with his wife, they were rear-ended by an aggressive driver who honked continuously, swerved dangerously close, and even started reversing towards them after stopping ahead. That incident made it clear: they needed cameras to document their rides.
Since then, the rider has relied on Cycliq cameras to capture their rides — not for vanity, but for safety, evidence, and peace of mind.
What Went Wrong
This case is a textbook right hook — a driver passes a cyclist only to cut them off by immediately turning right. Combined with aggressive horn use, speeding, and reckless disregard for safety, the driver created an extremely hostile and unsafe situation.
Even worse than the incident itself was the law enforcement response. Instead of enforcing Tennessee’s 3-foot passing law, the cyclist was told to carry a firearm and avoid the road entirely. That’s not accountability — it’s avoidance.
The Real Issue
Cyclists are often told to “share the road,” but when enforcement fails, the responsibility falls unfairly on riders. The real issues here are:
- Lack of enforcement of existing passing laws.
- Victim blaming, with cyclists told they shouldn’t ride or should arm themselves instead.
- Systemic disregard for video evidence that clearly shows dangerous driving.
