Murfreesboro Police and the Tennessee Highway Patrol are teaming up again—this time with a shared goal of getting more drivers and passengers to buckle up. Both agencies say they’re seeing too many preventable injuries on local roads, and a coordinated seatbelt enforcement effort is one way to turn the trend around.
- Tennessee Code §55‑9‑603 requires the operator and all front‑seat passengers to be restrained.
- The law does not extend to adults in the rear seat, unless they are under 18.
- Violations are a Class C misdemeanor, typically a $30 fine for the first offense.
The joint operation will focus on corridors where officers routinely spot unrestrained drivers: places like Memorial Boulevard, Old Fort Parkway, South Church Street, and stretches of I‑24 running through the city.
On a WGNS’ broadcast, Murfreesboro Police Chief Michael Bowen said, “These aren’t random choices. They’re the roads where traffic volume, speed, and daily routines collide, and where officers often see the consequences when someone skips the seatbelt.”
THP troopers will be working alongside MPD’s Traffic Unit, watching for drivers and passengers who aren’t buckled, as well as related violations like child‑restraint misuse. The agencies say the goal isn’t to write tickets—it’s to prevent the kinds of injuries they see far too often. According to state data, nearly half of Tennesseans killed in crashes last year were not wearing a seatbelt…