Tennessee has one of the lowest rates of unhelmeted motorcycle fatalities in the nation, according to a new study examining motorcycle crash data from across the United States.
The report found that only 8.3% of motorcyclists killed in crashes in Tennessee between 2020 and 2024 were not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash. That figure is less than one-quarter of the national average of 35.2% and ranks Tennessee among the states with the lowest unhelmeted fatality rates in the country.
Researchers analyzed motorcycle fatality and helmet-use data from all 50 states using information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, and other national safety databases. Tennessee’s universal helmet law, which requires all motorcycle riders to wear helmets, was cited as a key factor in the state’s low rate.
According to the study, 830 motorcyclists died on Tennessee roadways during the five-year period. Of those, 69 riders were not wearing a helmet…