What are Tennessee Motorcycle Helmet Laws?
Tennessee helmet laws require anyone operating or riding on a motorcycle to wear a helmet. Though this law has been hotly contested within the state, helmets save lives, reducing fatal head injury risks by over 40 percent. In fact, Tennessee’s Vanderbilt University, which treats a large number of head injuries after motorcycle accidents, estimates that these injuries cost nearly $70,000 on average—not counting permanent disability and its effects on productivity. In Tennessee this issue is of great concern because TennCare, the state’s insurance program, bears many of the costs for motorcyclists hurt while riding without a helmet.
