As the national observance of Child Passenger Safety Week unfolds, Tennessee officials are placing the spotlight on the crucial role that car seats play in protecting young passengers. According to new data from the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, toddlers under the age of 4 are significantly more at risk in vehicle accidents when not properly restrained. Specifically, they're 85 percent more likely to die or sustain severe injury in a crash if unrestrained, as detailed on the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security's website.
Looking at the period from January 2024 to September 2025, the state of Tennessee has seen nearly 15,000 children under 4 involved in car crashes. While 70 percent of these children were safely harnessed in child restraint systems, a startling 141 were completely unrestrained, according to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security's figures. During the same timespan, crashes tragically claimed the lives of fourteen children under the age of 4.
The concern is not just one of legal compliance, but one of utmost urgency for child safety. As Jeff Long, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, put it, the use of car seats is "one of the most important choices we can make," an assertion he made clear in their published statement. Tennessee law sets specific guidelines for car seats, mandating that infants under 1 year old or weighing less than 20 pounds must occupy a rear-facing child restraint, and kids aged 1 through 3 need to remain in a car seat until they outgrow it, then transitioning to a forward-facing seat.
Colonel Matt Perry of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, who has seen the effects of crashes firsthand, highlights the gravity of these safety measures. "The law is clear. It is about more than compliance. It is about saving lives," he told the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. Reinforcing these efforts, Buddy Lewis, Director of the Tennessee Highway Safety Office, has been working to facilitate car seat inspections, offering no-cost checks by certified technicians across the state, as confirmed on their official website. The outreach is part of the concluding events for Child Passenger Safety Week, culminating in National Seat Check Saturday.
To find a local car seat inspection site and gather more information on how to ensure the safety of young passengers, families can visit tntrafficsafety.org/cps. The Child Passenger Safety Week campaign reminds us that each correctly used car seat is more than a device; it's a child's lifeline in a world teeming with uncertainties.
