As with all states, Mississippi has rules that apply to motorcycle drivers and riders who travel on our roadways. Most of the laws concerning responsible driving on a motorcycle are similar to those required for driving other vehicles.

However, motorcycles have a unique set of laws that all drivers and riders are required to follow regarding safety, specifically helmets.

So, what exactly are Mississippi’s motorcycle helmet laws, and how can drivers and bike riders ensure they abide by them?

In this blog, we’ll explain what the laws on helmet usage are for motorcyclists and what you and other bikers you know can do to make sure you stay safe out on the road.

There are a lot of different laws in Mississippi that can affect motorcycle riders. One of the most important is Mississippi Code § 63-9-11, which is the Mississippi motorcycle helmet law requiring all riders to wear a helmet while operating their vehicle in case of an accident.

If you are injured in a motorcycle accident and are not wearing a helmet, it could affect your ability to receive compensation for your injuries. Therefore, if you are injured in a motorcycle accident here in Jackson, you must speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer who can advise you of the rights Mississippi law affords you in this instance.

The most recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) names Mississippi the most dangerous state in the nation for motorcyclists. With more fatalities per 10,000 registered motorcycles than other state in the U.S., Mississippi tops even other large, warm-climate states like Texas, Florida, and South Carolina in motorcycle accident deaths.

Truck and car drivers can do their part by exercising extreme caution when sharing the road with open-air vehicles like motorcycles. The body of a motorcycle offers very little protection to its rider, and collisions which cause negligible damage to a large car can be fatal to bikers.

Have you ever been sitting in your vehicle in standstill traffic, and all of a sudden, a motorcycle zoomed past you? They couldn’t have passed you in a lane because the other stopped cars all around you filled them. Instead, they were driving on the dotted lines and passed you in between the lanes. This is called road splitting or lane splitting. Even though it is legal in California and other parts of the world, road splitting is illegal in all the other states and is a dangerous practice that can cause serious accidents for motorcyclists and vehicle drivers alike.