Honda Hoot sparks increased patrols on Dragon

With the Honda Hoot rolling into East Tennessee, the Blount County Sheriff's Office will be keeping a close eye on the infamous "Dragon."

The route along Highway 129 sees numerous motorcycle accidents each year, and sheriff's deputies are trying to keep riders as safe as possible.

Blount County Sheriff's Office Community Outreach Director Jarrod Millsaps knows the Dragon well. He travels the treacherous stretch of highway a few times each month, trying to stop motorcycle riders from taking dangerous risks on the roadway's serpentine switchbacks.

"The speed limit is 30 miles per hour until you get to the North Carolina line," Millsaps said. "It's also double yellow all the way into North Carolina, which means it's a no-passing zone."

But many riders don't obey those rules. We saw one in action Wednesday afternoon. The driver traveled closely behind Millsaps' unmarked vehicle until oncoming traffic cleared, then sped around Millsaps, nearly clipping an oncoming motorcycle.

After being pulled over, the driver said he got wrapped up in the adrenaline rush of the ride and made a risky mistake.

"It could've been a major accident," Millsaps said.

Sgt. Randy Ailey sees similar incidents all the time.

"The major factor is the speed," Ailey said. "They come up here and a lot of them think it's their personal race track. One told me this morning, 'If you're going to play the game, you'd better be prepared to pay the price,' and he said he was."

Sheriff's Deputies patrol the Dragon 7 days a week and stop between 10 and 15 drivers each day. With four accidents on Monday alone and more riders on the way this week, Millsaps is advising everyone to think twice before taking risks.

"As long as people come up here and obey the speed limits and obey the laws that are here, then they're going to have a great time and enjoy themselves," Millsaps said.

The Governor's Highway Safety Office recently approved a $120,000 grant to pay for patrols on the Dragon.