Bikes over Cars

By Isabella Pena

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Did the school take your driver’s license away, or can you just not find the time to take the test? There’s another answer that isn’t hitching a ride with a friend, and it lies in another Tennessee law. Under the law of Tennessee, class 1 to 3 bikes are recognized as vehicles and are subject to the same laws as motor vehicles, except for a few differences. For normal manual bikes, no license is needed to ride on the road; you only need to understand the road laws and have appropriate safety features added, such as a blinker, rear lights, a mirror, and also a helmet by law if you are under the age of 16. For e-bikes, classified as class 3 bikes, you still do not need any legal license or registration to ride on the road, follow the same rules as the other classified bikes, and wear a helmet if you are under the age of 16. Bike lanes are still accessible by all 1 to 3 class bikes!

   T.C.A. Title 55, Chapter 8 addresses the road laws of Tennessee, and it explicitly states bikes are considered vehicles and therefore all rules and rights also apply to any cyclist as they would to a car driver. T.C.A §55-52-105 is the policy that outlines the rules of helmet laws, saying any minor under the age of 16 must wear a helmet while riding a bike out on the road, but they also vary depending on where you are, so it is best to either always wear a helmet or check the local policy. 

   There is a website called Tennessee Bicycle laws (http://bikelaw.com/laws/tennessee) that clearly explains what laws do and don’t apply to cyclists, how to safely ride a bike on the road, what paths and signals to use, and who to reach out to if given any problems or questions about riding a bicycle on the road in the state of Tennessee!