Where is the safest place for my 5 year old to ride?

The safest way to for a five year old to ride in the car is to place them in a high backed booster seat with the lap/shoulder belt to restrain them. Children should ride this way once they weigh 40 pounds and they should REMAIN in the booster seat until they are 8-10 years old and about 4' 9" feet tall according to state law effective July 1, 2004.

Tennessee upgraded its child restraint law to require children who are age 4 to 8 and less than 4' 9" feet tall to be placed in booster seats in the back seat.

The new law also will require that children under age 1 or less than 20 pounds be placed in a rear-facing child passenger restraint system in the back seat.

And children age 1 to 3 who weigh at least 20 pounds would have to be in a forward-facing child safety seat in the back seat.  

In addition, the new measure recommends—but doesn’t require—that children age 9 to 13 or any child who is at least 5 feet tall wear safety belts in the back seat.

The new law corresponds more closely with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s child passenger safety guidelines, called the “4 Steps for Kids”:

• Rear-facing infant seats in the back seat from birth to at least 1 year old and at least 20 pounds
• Forward-facing toddler seats in the back seat from age 1 to about age 4 and 20 to 40 pounds
• Booster seats in the back seat from about age 4 and 40 pounds to at least age 8, unless 4'9"
• Safety belts at age 8 or older or taller than 4'9". All children 12 and under should ride in the back seat.

The lap/shoulder belt alone are not designed to fit children and in event of an accident, children restrained by lap/shoulder belt only may suffer more serious injury. Placing the shoulder belt behind the back or under the arm of your child may result in ejection or severe abdominal injuries in crashes. Seat belt positioners which pull the shoulder belt down, also raise the lap belt up over the abdomen instead of the hips, increasing the risk of serious abdominal injuries.

A child may be ready for just a lap/shoulder belt when their 1) back and buttocks are against the seat 2) knees are bent over the edge of the cushion, 3) shoulder belt is across the shoulder, 4) lap belt is over the thighs and 5) the child will remain that way throughout the trip. Remember too, children under 12 years of age should not ride in the front seat with an air bag. All in all, remember that booster seats really are the safest way to transport your children over age 4, don¹t let yourself be talked out of it! You can only regret the decision to let your child ride without one.