Tennessee Car Seat Law Summary
The rear-facing car seat law in Tennessee states that children must ride in a rear-facing car seat until they are at least one year old and weigh at least 20 pounds. After a child has reached this minimum age and weight, they can transition to a front-facing car seat that will accommodate their growth. Once a child reaches the age of four or weighs at least 40 pounds, they can transition to a booster seat. Children must remain properly secured in a booster seat until they are at least eight years old or weigh no less than 80 pounds.
Tennessee made changes to its child car seat laws in 2018. Children who weigh less than 20 pounds or who are not at least one year old must ride in a rear-facing car seat in the back seat of the car. The only exception to the rear-facing car seat law occurs when the back seats of a car are occupied by other children younger than one year old. When this happens, children under one whose weight is more than 20 pounds may ride in the front seat. Following the amendments , children are now required to remain in booster seats until they turn five.
Tennessee’s law includes a requirement that children be at least nine years old or weigh at least 145 pounds before they are permitted to get out of their booster seats and use the regular seat belt. Different manufacturers’ booster seat models have different requirements that specify the minimum or maximum ages, as some models stop at age four and others go to as high as 12. Generally, children are safe in booster seats until they are around the ages of 10 to 12, depending on their weights. Once children start using regular seat belts, they are significantly safer if they use the seat belt positioning and do not put the shoulder strap behind their arms or place them in front of their face.
Tennessee’s requirements on forward-facing car seats are intended to help ensure that children are safe in the event of an accident. The rear-end crash rate is three times higher than the front-end crash rate. The injuries from a car crash can be far more severe when a child is improperly restrained or improperly fitted with a car seat or booster seat.
Rules on Forward-Facing Car Seats
Specifics of Forward-Facing Car Seat Requirements in Tennessee
The law considers a child to have outgrown their rear-facing car seat when they meet any one of the following criteria:
When a child meets one of those criteria, it’s time to transition them into a forward-facing car seat. For kids who are forward-facing, the law specifies that they must meet specific weight and height requirements, as well as age requirements. Like with the rear-facing car seat requirement, these requirements increase with time and cannot be skipped or avoided.
The state requires all children who use forward-facing car seats to be at least 1 year old, weigh more than 20 pounds and measure at least 28 inches tall. Beyond this minimum requirement, however, the state has also placed an emphasis on the possible need to keep children in forward-facing car seats until they’ve reached the age of 3. This follows the recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics that suggests children wait until they’re 4 years old to transition into a forward-facing car seat.
Parents must take caution in skipping requirements for the sake of convenience. Although it may be more convenient to switch your child to their new car seat because they’re fussy, pushing it off 6 months could mean that they’re not safe in the event of a crash. That’s not a risk worth taking.
Installation of Forward-Facing Car Seats
When it comes to child safety, a properly installed forward-facing car seat is an absolute necessity for parents in Tennessee. The following installation guidelines are designed to help you ensure that your child’s car seat is both secure and compliant with Tennessee law:
- The U.S. Department of Transportation recommends that all parents have the original instructions that came with their specific car seat; be sure to consult these instructions during the installation process.
- In Tennessee, a forward-facing car seat should be placed in the back seat of the car until the child is at least six years of age. In some states, the age is as old as eight years. Note that children should stay in a forward-facing car seat for as long as possible, provided the weight and height guidelines allow this.
- Certain car safety features — including cushioned head rests — prevent a child’s head from pressing against the car’s hard interior or window, even while they are sleeping. If the vehicle lacks these features, a car safety pillow may be appropriate, depending on the specific instructions provided by the manufacturer.
- Secure the shoulder harness straps in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. The buckle must be fully secured before a child can safely begin riding in the seat and must be released by depressing the buckle release button to allow the child to exit the seat.
- Be sure to check that the car seat is not installed against the seatbelt buckle or latch plate area; if it is, the latch cannot be adjusted properly and the stability may be affected.
- Do not attempt to install a seat using both the seatbelt and the tether strap on the LATCH and LATCH-style seat anchors. Choose one method.
- Other than the exception defined above, do not use the tether strap with children less than one year old.
- In Tennessee as well as most of the U.S., it is illegal to use a rear-facing seat in the front seat of a vehicle. Once your child weighs 30 pounds and has reached the required height, the child can legally transition into a rear-facing position but only if the car seat does not have a rear-facing function.
- Check with the state’s website for more information about recommended tether methods under the following circumstances: 1) when the back seat features a deck; 2) if the seatback is not high or firm enough; 3) if there is not a rear adjacent seat; 4) if the occupant protection system is not equipped with a top tether anchor; or 5) if the child is in a cushion booster seat and uses the lap/shoulder belt system.
- All parents are required to take their children to a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician within 72 hours of a birth to obtain the certification that signifies a child’s car seat is properly installed.
Penalties for Not Obeying the Law in Tennessee
All Tennessee parents with children under age one are required by law to secure and restrain their kids in a rear-facing car seat. However, many parents do not realize that it is also a violation of the law to allow your child under age one to travel in a forward-facing car seat, even if you feel confident they are safe in that seat. The penalties for violating the rearward car seat law are as follows: Fines: parents or guardians who are found to have violated the Tennessee law which requires kids be transported facing to the rear until age one are subject to a fine of $50 for each violation. Court costs: parents may be subject to court costs amounting to $146.50 in addition to the $50 fine. Invasive and Time-Consuming Deterrent: the law is designed to dissuade parents from endangering their child by helping them see the need for compliance with the law, and the costs associated with violations. However these costs also have the unintended effect of deterring parents from complying. No parent wants to be attached to the court system, and will likely spend more than the $50 fine in their efforts to avoid criminal charges. When parents receive their court date, they will be required to appear before a Circuit Court Judge on that date. As a result, parents will have to take the time to obtain an attorney, file their case with the court and explain to the judge why they did not know the law, and the risks to the child and how much they wish to now comply after being informed of the law. On Judge’s in Davidson Country the bond often set is as high as $500 for a $50 offense. We have seen as many as 6 to 8 weeks go by while the case is pending. Violators may be required to obtain a driving school certificate for $75 and sometimes pay a "producer" fee to their lawyer of $100 or more. In fact , in Davidson County ‘court costs’ also refer to the attorney fees. Often the charges are reduced from a misdemeanor to a civil charge by a diversion judge in exchange for taking parenting classes or complying with the law for 3 months. Judges and prosecutors are concerned with the callous nature of treating children in a way that endangers them and are exceeding tough. In Tennessee, the burden of learning and understanding laws falls solely on the violator in these situations. In Davidson County, a conviction will result in the slightest increase in car insurance rates which will stay with you for the next 5 years. Violators are subject to criminalization for what may not be even negligent behavior. There are no elements of culpability such as intent, knowledge or recklessness that must be proved in order to convict a parent of child endangerment/criminal child abuse in Nashville. The normal requirement that the state show beyond a reasonable cause that a person was aware of the risk that their child would be harmed if they allowed them to ride in a forward-facing car seat is all but absent. It sends the message that the legislature thinks it more important to enforce the law than to consider the reason a parent placed their child in a forward-facing car seat. In addition, excessive fines for minor violations and criminal prosecution as a result of minor violations is discouraging parents from complying with the law.
Benefits of Following the Law on Forward-Facing Car Seats
Among the most beneficial advantages of obeying the forward-facing car seat laws when traveling with young children is knowing that you are doing everything possible to increase their safety. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, a child is 5 times less likely to suffer serious injury in an accident if they are riding in a properly fitted car seat. While this number has been debated by some, even those experts readily agree that the same seat will offer more protection than no car seat at all.
Another benefit of following the laws is that you are ensured that the car seat you are using fits your child properly. A child that no longer needs to be in a car seat may be easily tempted to undo a standard seat belt, thus putting him or her at greater risk.
If your child is properly secured they also have a lower risk of sustaining fatal injuries. Current statistics show that a child is more than 20 times less likely to die or sustain serious injury when involved in a car accident while in a standard car seat, and more than 10 times less likely when they are in a booster seat. Properly securing your child in a car seat also means keeping him or her properly restrained until they are ready to move into a seat belt, which is not only safer, but legally mandated as well.
Ignoring the necessity for these important safety devices puts your child at greater risk that they will be injured, and parents are legally responsible for ensuring that their child is properly secured at all times.
Resources in Tennessee for Parents
Thankfully, in addition to the resources in the wider community that are promoting proper car seat use and installation, there are many resources specific for Tennessee parents. The Tennessee Department of Transportation provides an excellent array of suggestions for parents of children at every developmental level, along with the names and locations of local agencies which will personally assist parents with proper car seat installation. Similar suggestions can be found at tdot.tn.gov/safety/child.
East Tennessee kids may refer to www.childcarseatcheckupday . org for information about the Nashville Child Passenger Safety Coalition, a group "whose mission is to promote the proper use and installation of child safety seats through education and community support." Memphis parents may get assistance from the Shelby County Health Department’s Safe Kids Mid-South. Memphis hospitals will generally assist with proper installation of any car seat handled by those hospitals, and other communities in West Tennessee have local hospitals which can similarly assist parents with car seat installation and use.