Child restraint law - Tennessee

I was just looking for the wording of our child restraint laws. I have never been clear on whether a bpb counts for the 4 &/or 40 laws. I found a site that lists laws for all states, but says it is as of 2006. Look what Tennessee said:

Notwithstanding the provisions of § 55-9-603, any person transporting any child, one (1) through three (3) years of age weighing greater than twenty pounds (20 lbs.), in a motor vehicle upon a road, street or highway of Tennessee is responsible for the protection of the child and properly using a child passenger restraint system in a forward facing position, meeting federal motor vehicle safety standards in the rear seat if available or according to the child safety restraint system or vehicle manufacturer's instructions.

They require that the child be in a forward-facing seat? I hope that has been changed.

LuvMyGirls said:

I was just looking for the wording of our child restraint laws. I have never been clear on whether a bpb counts for the 4 &/or 40 laws. I found a site that lists laws for all states, but says it is as of 2006. Look what Tennessee said:

Notwithstanding the provisions of § 55-9-603, any person transporting any child, one (1) through three (3) years of age weighing greater than twenty pounds (20 lbs.), in a motor vehicle upon a road, street or highway of Tennessee is responsible for the protection of the child and properly using a child passenger restraint system in a forward facing position, meeting federal motor vehicle safety standards in the rear seat if available or according to the child safety restraint system or vehicle manufacturer's instructions.

They require that the child be in a forward-facing seat? I hope that has been changed.

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Unfortunately, I do not think it has.

Last year I got into an argument with someone about this very same thing. I was absolutely certain that the law was worded incorrectly and didn't reflect the intent. Well, I emailed with the Assistant Director of the Tennessee Highway Patrol (Lt. Leonard Moudy) and he assured me, that YES children MUST be forward-facing between the ages of 1 and 3.

We emailed back and forth and I tried explaining my position and the best practices of child safety and again, asked for clarification. He told me that the entire highway patrol has been trained to ticket and fine any driver who does not have their 1-3 yr old forwardfacing. He reiterated that they do not make the laws, they only enforce them. I appreciate that, but still

Oh, my. So you live in Tennessee? I wonder what you would have to do to have the law changed. If the AAP clearly states the the child should be rf after 1 year, then the law certainly needs to allow it.

LuvMyGirls said:

Oh, my. So you live in Tennessee? I wonder what you would have to do to have the law changed. If the AAP clearly states the the child should be rf after 1 year, then the law certainly needs to allow it.

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Heh, no I live in New Mexico. But the girl I was arguing with was from Tennessee, which is how I got involved in that mess. If I lived there I would have pursued it further, I think, but I live too far away to take on something so large. But I totally agree. . SUCKY law!