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.
The report found that all 11 states with the lowest unhelmeted fatality rates have universal helmet laws in place. Tennessee ranked eighth nationally, behind states including Washington, Massachusetts, Virginia, California, Oregon, Vermont, and North Carolina.
Researchers also compared Tennessee to neighboring states. Tennessee’s 8.3% unhelmeted fatality rate was lower than Georgia’s 10.5% and dramatically lower than Kentucky’s 62.9%, where helmet requirements apply only to certain riders.
The study found states without universal helmet laws consistently recorded much higher rates of unhelmeted rider deaths. States with no helmet law averaged a 64.8% unhelmeted fatality rate, while states with partial helmet laws averaged 51.2%. Tennessee’s rate was more than 56 percentage points lower than states without helmet requirements.
The research was conducted by Grigor Law Injury & Car Accident Lawyers using five years of motorcycle fatality data from 2020 through 2024.
