NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Children will soon be required to ride in car seats and booster seats longer in Tennessee.
A bill to make Tennessee’s car seat laws more stringent was passed by both chambers of the Tennessee legislature. Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D – Nashville) sponsored the bill to bring the state’s car seat laws up to date with national standards.
“I have three young boys myself. So I have three car seats in my back seat,” said Rep. Clemmons. “It’s very important that our state code matches national safety standards.”
Current law says children must use rear-facing car seats until age one; forward-facing car seats until three years old; and booster seats until age eight.
The bill would change the rules to require kids under two to use rear-facing seats; children under age five must use forward-facing car seats; and children must use booster seats until they turn 12 or reach a height of 4-foot-9.
The recommendations come from pediatricians and pediatric hospitals across the country.
Neil Stinson, RN, EMT, a clinical staff leader at the pediatric emergency room at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, says the changes regarding booster seats make a big difference for smaller children.
“For the shorter, smaller child, the ones that weigh less, to raise them up off the car seat a little bit onto the booster so that the seat belt crosses them around the chest and not around the neck, you would save dozens of lives per year,” Stinson said.
The bill was passed by the Tennessee House and Senate. It now heads to the desk of Governor Bill Haslam for his signature.