Safety belts, child seats and air bags

Key points

1. Safety belts are required for all drivers and front seat passengers whenever the vehicle is moving.

   Source: Handbook p. 31

   “Safety belts are required for ALL drivers and all passengers in the FRONT seat, any time the vehicle is in motion.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 31

2. Back seat passengers under 17 must also wear safety belts.

   Source: Handbook p. 31

   “Safety belts are also required for BACKSEAT passengers in the following situations: • If the passengers are under 17 years old.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 31

3. Officers can stop and ticket drivers only for breaking safety belt and child restraint laws.

   Source: Handbook p. 31

   “Officers can stop and ticket drivers solely for disobeying Safety belt and Child Restraint Device (CRD) laws.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 31

4. If children under 16 are not properly restrained, the driver can be fined $50.00.

   Source: Handbook p. 31

   “If children under age 16 are not properly restrained, the driver may be charged and fined $50.00 for violation of the law.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 31

5. A child under 1 year old, or under 20 pounds, must ride in a rear facing car seat.

   Source: Handbook p. 31

   “A child under one year old, or any child weighing less than 20 pounds, must be in a child passenger restraint system (car seat) that is facing the rear of the car.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 31

6. Children 1 through 3 who weigh more than 20 pounds must ride in a forward facing car seat.

   Source: Handbook p. 31

   “Children who are one through three years old, and who weigh more than 20 pounds, must be in a child passenger restraint system that is facing forward.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 31

7. Children 4 through 8 who are under 4 feet 9 inches must ride in a booster seat and wear a seat belt.

   Source: Handbook p. 31

   “Children who are four through eight years old and whose height is under four feet, nine inches, must be in a belt positioning booster seat system (child booster car seat) and wearing a seatbelt.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 31

8. Wear the lap belt low over the pelvis, touching the tops of the thighs.

   Source: Handbook p. 31

   “The lap belt should be worn low over the pelvis with the bottom edge touching the tops of the thighs snugly.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 31

9. Children 12 and under are safer in the back seat.

   Source: Handbook p. 33

   “CHILDREN ages 12 and under are safer in the back seat of a vehicle.”
   Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 33

10. It is illegal to let any child under 6 ride in the bed of a pickup truck.

    Source: Handbook p. 33

    “It is illegal in Tennessee to allow any child under the age of 6 to ride in the bed of a pickup truck.”
    Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Handbook p. 33

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Tennessee practice test

1. 1. How many people were killed by distracted driving in 2019, according to NHTSA figures in the Tennessee manual?

   1. About 100
   2. About 50,000
   3. About 800
   4. 3,142
   Show answer

   3,142. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 3,142 people were killed by distracted driving in 2019, and cell phone use while driving leads to 1.6 million crashes every year. Tennessee's Hands Free law bars holding a phone while driving, and texting has been prohibited for teen and adult drivers since July 1, 2009. Put the phone away before you start.

2. 2. When should Tennessee drivers turn on their headlights even during daylight?

   1. When windshield wipers are in use
   2. Only when parked on a shoulder
   3. Never during daylight hours
   4. Only when following another vehicle within 500 feet
   Show answer

   When windshield wipers are in use. Tennessee requires headlights when windshield wipers are in use, including conditions involving rain, mist, snow, or other precipitation. Daylight does not remove the requirement. Turning lights on helps oncoming drivers and pedestrians see the vehicle, while waiting for darkness misses the rule's weather trigger. The 500-foot distance is associated with dimming high beams, not deciding whether headlights are needed. Make the habit automatic: if the wipers are operating continuously, switch on the headlights and keep them on until conditions no longer require the wipers.

3. 3. What does Tennessee require when a driver uses high beams and an oncoming vehicle is within 500 feet?

   1. Dim or lower the high beam headlights
   2. Sound the horn and keep high beams on
   3. Switch to parking lights only
   4. Turn off every exterior light
   Show answer

   Dim or lower the high beam headlights. High beams must be dimmed or lowered when an oncoming vehicle is within 500 feet, approximately one city block. The purpose is to prevent glare from impairing the other driver's vision. Turning off every light or using only parking lights would reduce visibility, while a horn does not solve the glare problem. The same 500-foot rule also applies when following another vehicle. Scan ahead and use the low-beam setting early enough that the approaching driver is not blinded.

Source: the Tennessee Comprehensive Driver License Manual, Section B-2: Tennessee Safety Belt Laws. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.