Whether you live or work in Tennessee, or are just passing through on your way to somewhere else, you’d better buckle up. As of January 1, 2016, anyone caught not wearing a seatbelt is in for a new fine. WBBJ Eyewitness News reported that first-time offenders caught without safety restraints are now posed to get hit with a $25 fine. Repeat offenders will see double that amount, as the new fines for them are $50.

The new law was signed into effect by the governor.

Why the new law was needed

2015 was the year of the seatbelt citation: “state troopers have issued more than 107,000” of them, and “Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security Commissioner Bill Gibbons says more than 300 people not wearing seat belts have died on Tennessee roadways” last year. The Tennessean reported that “47 percent of all traffic fatalities in Tennessee… involved unrestrained motorists.”

Even at $25 and $50, Tennessee’s fines for failing to wear a seat belt are among the lowest in the nation. We fall far below our neighbors to the East in North Carolina ($25.50 + $135.50 in court costs), but the new fine is on par with Kentucky, Arkansas and Mississippi, which also have $25 dollar fines in place.

These new fines only apply to adult front seat passengers, because children under the age of 16 are required to be restrained no matter where they sit. A driver with an unrestrained child in the car who is under the age of 16 is automatically fined $50. There could be additional penalties as well if the child is supposed to be in a car seat or a booster seat, as opposed to simply in a seat belt.

With so many deaths each year related to seat belt use, we wonder if the laws went far enough in terms of increasing the fines – but something is better than nothing. We want all of our clients to stay safe on the roads, so we encourage you to buckle up whenever you get in the car.

Remember: if you are hurt in a car accident, you want a team on your side that knows how to help. Contact Banks & Jones any time to schedule a free consultation with a skilled Knoxville auto accident attorney.