NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Lawmakers are back in Richmond, and there is a significant push to change Virginia's seat belt law.
Currently, Virginia law mandates that individuals under the age of 18 must wear seat belts, but those 18 and older can only be pulled over for not buckling up if there is another reason for the stop. This has spurred one Virginia mom to advocate for legislative change to potentially save more lives.
Christy King lost her 18-year-old son, Christopher, in a tragic car crash on July 4, 2020. He was sitting in the back seat without a seat belt when the accident occurred, just weeks after his high school graduation.
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"Christopher had just graduated from high school, full of hope and promise, and was killed in a car crash two weeks later," King said.
Since her son’s death, King has established a foundation in his memory and has been lobbying for a change in the current seat belt law in Virginia. Under the existing regulations, law enforcement officers can only issue tickets for seat belt violations for front-seat passengers. King believes these rules are too lenient.
"They could stop, and if someone is not buckled up, they could write a ticket right now only for the front seat for an adult. And what is the fine right now? $25. It was written in the 1980s. We need to update that law," she said.
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This week, a bill aimed at amending the law is set to be reviewed by legislators, supported by Delegate Karen Keys Gamara. The proposed bill seeks to extend the seat belt requirements to backseat passengers but does not yet make it a primary offense.
"The seat belt bill that she submitted will only add the backseat to the violation, but it does not make it a primary offense yet. So I'm still hoping to strengthen it more," King stated. "But adding the back seat — we are going to save many lives."
King hopes Virginia's seat belt laws will align with those of neighboring states like North Carolina, where seat belt use is significantly higher.
"All of our neighboring states have primary seat belt laws, and their usage is in the 90 percent range," King noted.
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Recent data shows that, as of 2024, approximately 93 percent of people in North Carolina are using seat belts, a slight increase from 2023. In Maryland, seat belt usage is at 90 percent, and after changing its law in 2006, Kentucky saw an increase from 67 percent to 89 percent.
However, Virginia currently ranks lowest in the country for seat belt usage, with only 73 percent compliance.
King believes resistance to changing the law may stem from desires to limit police interactions and adherence to old mindsets.
"It will save your life; it will save other people's lives. It's not just about you — it's about other people," she emphasized.
