Will Repealing the Tennessee Motorcycle Helmet Law Work?

This month the Tennessee state legislators again consider a repeal of the current mandatory motorcycle helmet law for drivers over 21. The bill has caused a storm of controversy and discussion of the importance of wearing a helmet when aboard a bike. As Memphis motorcycle accident attorneys, we at Bailey & Greer know the costs of brain trauma too well.

Proponents of the repeal cite economic benefits including an increase in bike registrations and the purchase of motorcycles. They also say that tourism will benefit, and that riders desire freedom of choice. Others do not agree.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center doctors and staff have offered strong opposition to the repeal efforts. They cite statistics from other states that have repealed helmet laws to support their position.

Beginning in 1997, helmet repeals began around the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide numbers that support Vanderbilt’s position. The CDC reported 5,290 motorcycle-related deaths in 2008.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) data also supports the use of helmets. When Arkansas and Texas repealed their laws, half as many bikers wore helmets and there was a 20-30 percent increase in motorcycle deaths.

When California, Maryland and Oregon enacted mandatory motorcycle helmet laws, deaths dropped by one-third, and there was a 50 percent decrease in motorcycle-related brain injuries.

Dr. Blaine Enderson, a medical advisor for emergency and trauma services and trauma surgeon at the University of Tennessee Medical Center, is steadfastly opposed to the repeal efforts. He says that the UT trauma center has treated more than 80,000 victims of traffic, falls, shootings and other traumas since it opened 25 years ago.

Enderson says that the majority of trauma victims who are left with permanent disability have suffered traumatic brain injuries. He adds, “Riders often state that if they are killed in a crash because they are not wearing a helmet, that should be their choice . . .Your death impacts your family. The impact may be even worse when they learn your brain injury was not fatal, but left you unable to communicate, unable to care for or feed yourself, or unable to live at home.”

At Bailey & Greer, our Memphis motorcycle attorneys regularly see the effects of traumatic brain injury and other injuries of those involved in Tennessee motorcycle crashes.

If you or a loved one is a victim of this kind of tragedy, we can help you to recover financially while you heal physically. Call us today toll-free at 901-680-9777 to see what we can do for you.