RICHMOND, Va. — It's a major win for a grieving Virginia mother who says her son lost his life because he wasn't wearing a seat belt.
After years of advocacy work and asking lawmakers to listen, the "Christopher King Seat Belt Law," also known as HB2475, will go into effect July 1.
The law requires every adult riding in a car on a public highway to wear a seat belt, even in the back seat. Current law only requires adults in the front seat to wear a seat belt.
"Everyone said from the beginning, I would never get the seat belt law changed. I, of course, said, 'Watch me. I'm a mom on a mission,'" said Christy King, the mother of Christopher King, a teen who lost his life in a car crash in 2020, right after he graduated from high school.
King was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. King said other passengers in the car survived because they were.
"We were in shock because he always wore a seatbelt. It's just that one time he jumped into the back seat of a convertible and didn't buckle up that took his life," King said.
After her son's passing, King and her family started the Christopher King Foundation, advocating for tougher seat belt laws.
"Virginia is the worst state in the country for seat belt usage for the second year in a row, at only 73% versus a national average of 92%, that I knew something had to be done. We had to make changes in our current law to save lives," King said, citing findings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. "We lose 300 Virginians a year that aren't restrained."
Local News
Virginia mom pushes for changes to Virginia's seat belt law
The Christopher King Seat Belt Law is still considered a secondary law, meaning police cannot stop a driver for not wearing a seat belt. Police can, however, issue a $25 fine for not wearing a seat belt if a driver is stopped for something else.
"It's just as important as the front seat. It's actually even more important because, in Christopher's case, he was in a convertible; if the top would have been up, he would have flown through and seriously injured or killed one or more of the other passengers in the car. So, it's not just about you in the back seat hanging out. It's you flying through, becoming a projectile and killing and hurting other people in the car as well."
King said she was invited to Washington, D.C. to speak at the national kickoff for the Click It or Ticket campaign next week.
The Christopher King Foundation will also be hosting its 5th annual "Cars for Chris" event in Williamsburg on Saturday, focusing on safe driving education while honoring Christopher's life.
"We know that we're making him proud and that he is with us, and he is going to save lives in his memory. We're just excited to make this step together and educate and save Virginians," King said.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
📲: CONNECT WITH US
Blue Sky| Facebook| Instagram| X| Threads| TikTok| YouTube
