WILLIAMSBURG, VA — The rate of seat belt use has decreased every year for the last few years, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
One mom told News 3 she'd like to change that — after what happened to her son.
Watch:York mom talks teen driving 5 years after son killed in crash
In 2020, Christy King says her 18-year-old named Christopher was riding in the backseat of a car when it crashed into a ditch. Christy's son wasn't wearing a seat belt and died.
"That night was the worst night of our lives I don’t want anyone to ever get that knocked on the door. It just takes that one second to not buckle up and that’s why my Christopher is no longer with us," said King.
After her son died, King said she wanted to spare other families from feeling her pain by changing Virginia's laws. Right now, the state does not have a primary seat belt law.
You can get a $25 fine for not wearing a seat belt but it's only a secondary offense. In other words, police need another reason to pull you over. Seeing you without a seat belt isn't enough.
Watch: 100 deadly days of summer with teen driving deaths
According to the NHTSA, the number of people using a seat belt dropped by nearly 2.5 percent between 2022 and 2023.
King wants to change the law and allow law enforcement to ticket anyone not buckling up without needing another reason to stop them.
She's not the only parent looking to make changes to the rules on the road.
Tammy Gweedo McGee lost her son in 2019.
"My son had hopped into the front seat with a teen driver who had transferred to our school. They were leaving a homecoming dance and the teen left the parking lot reaching speeds of 70 miles an hour in a 35 zone. He lost control of the car ran off the road, hit a tree, flipped the car and all three teenagers died so needlessly that day," said McGee.
Watch: Distracted driving related crashes on the rise in York County
After her son died, she created a foundation in her son's honor and advocated for two bills. One is called "Connor's Law."
"It requires all Virginia Public High schools to require the presentation of a valid driver's license if a teen wants to drive and park on a Virginia Public High School Grounds," explained McGee.
The other bill involves a 90-minute parent-teen safety driving course. Now she's pushing to pass another bill that would hold a parent or guardian responsible for knowing of a person driving without a license.
When lawmakers return to Richmond, King plans to advocate for the seat belt law.
To learn more about Christy King's Foundation, click the link here.
