Specific Helmet Requirement

The laws of Tennessee, concerning helmets for motorcycle operators are specific in requiring crash helmets that meet federal safety requirements as covered under Tennessee statute 49 CFR 571.218. This includes passengers as well. Unless the operator/passenger is over 21 years of age, in which case the crash helmets must meet the same federal standards as listed in 49 CFR 571.218 but are allowed to have ventilation airways that do not exceed one and one half inches and are passed through the protective shell of the helmet. Additionally, all helmets are required to bear an appropriate sticker designating that the helmet is approved by the American Society for Testing Materials, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Southern Impact Research Center or approved by the Snell Foundation.

Helmet Law Exceptions

Motorcycle operators and passengers are excepted from the helmet laws, if in a parade in which the speed does not exceed 18 miles per hour. Additionally, a helmet is not required for a motorcycle with an enclosed cab that has three wheels in continual contact with the surface of the pavement. Furthermore, helmet laws do not apply to those in operation of a golf cart.

Motorcycle riders should always take the time to research the laws in their area or areas they will be traveling through, in order to be sure to stay in compliance with the laws and regulations of both county and state. As always, safe and proper operation of any vehicle will help protect your life and the lives of others.

The Dangers of Motorcycle Crashes

Motorcycle accident statistics from 2010 show that motorcyclists are 30 times more likely to die in an accident than occupants of a vehicle (per vehicle mile traveled), and about five times more likely to be injured. Motorcycles make up only about three percent of total registered vehicles in the U.S., but they account for more than one in seven fatalities.