Too many Virginians aren’t buckling up — and it’s proving to be deadly.
The WTKR News 3 Investigative Team has been following through on this issue after a string of fatal crashes in June.
Virginia ranks at the bottom of the list when it comes to seat belt compliance and some people want to change that.
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Tragically, 18-year-old Christopher King was the passenger when he died on Fourth of July in 2020 after he was thrown from a car during a crash.
His mother, Christy King is now a safe driving advocate. She started the Christopher King Foundation.
“My son was thrown from the car because he did not have his seat belt on,” said King.
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A reckless driver crashed on a winding road behind the small Williamsburg Jamestown Airport and was convicted.
“It takes just one second that you don't buckle up that can take your life,” said King. She said her son always wore his seat belt and it was very unusual that he didn’t that night.
So far in 2024, AAA reports there were 59 deadly car accidents in Hampton Roads, and people weren’t wearing a seat belt in 14 of those cases.
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Recently, a 22-year-old man died on an I-64 off-ramp in James City County.
Another crash claimed the life of a 40-year-old man from Williamsburg and a 9 year old boy recently. Police say neither drivers were wearing seat belts.
“It takes two seconds to buckle up and it can save your life,” said Holly Collins Dalby with AAA Tidewater Virginia.
The National Traffic Highway Safety Administration reports in 2022 when it comes to seat belt compliance rates Virginia falls at the bottom of the list when compared to other states with 75.6 percent.
The national average was 91.6 percent in 2022.
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Leaders with AAA say the number of people not putting their seat belt on is shocking.
“Unfortunately, they are not getting the message to buckle up,” said Dalby, “We found on a whole, men age 18 to 34 are the biggest offenders of not buckling up, particularly men that drive trucks or vans or large vehicles.”
She said there may be a false sense of protection because the vehicle is bigger.
We asked Virginia State Police why are compliance rate is so low compared to other states. They say Virginia does not have a primary seat belt law but Virginia still get compared statistically with those states that do.
It is a $25 fine for not wearing your seat belt, but it's a secondary offense in Virginia — meaning law enforcement need another reason to pull you over like speeding.
Watch: AAA car seat safety
Adults in Virginia are not required to wear a seat belt in the back seat of a vehicle.
Dalby said parents and guardians need to set a better example for kids and young adults.
King is now fighting for tougher laws and higher penalties for seat belt penalties in hopes of saving lives so that other people don’t have to deal with the pain she has gone through.
Here is a link with more information and at the bottom of the website the Seat Belt IQ test: https://www.nhtsa.gov/vehicle-safety/seat-belts
