RICHMOND, Va. — A Virginia mother's tragic loss has led to a new law requiring all passengers to wear seatbelts, regardless of where they sit in a vehicle.
For Christy King, 2020 wasn't just difficult because of the global pandemic. That year, her son Christopher was killed in a car accident when he was thrown from a vehicle while not wearing a seatbelt.
"He and his friends were just hanging out down this road... Just camping out fishing because you know there was nothing else to do during COVID," King said. "One night their friend came down with a convertible mustang, so of course everyone said cool car lets take a ride. And so my son and three others jumped in the car."
The circumstances of the crash were particularly devastating.
"The driver was high, the driver don't have his glasses on, he was on probation," King said.
On a road with a 30 mph speed limit, the driver was clocked going 80 mph when the car hit a ditch. Christopher was thrown from the vehicle and killed. The other passengers, who were wearing their seatbelts, survived.
"So obviously I'm a big advocate for seatbelt usage because it would have saved Christopher's life," King said.
While Virginia law required seatbelts for front-seat passengers and those under 18, adults in the back seat weren't legally required to buckle up. King has worked tirelessly since her son's death to change that.
"I just had to do something. I had to make a difference. I had to save lives," King said.
Her advocacy included visiting schools to speak with teens and petitioning lawmakers at the state capitol. Her efforts have finally paid off.
"It's absolutely amazing that the seatbelt law that we've worked so hard on this past year will go into effect July 1st, 2025, four days before the fifth anniversary of Christopher's death," King said. "And it is referred to as the Christopher King seatbelt law."
The new law will require all adults to wear seatbelts when riding in a car, even in the back seat.
According to 2023 crash statistics from the National Highway Safety Administration, Virginia ranked worst in seatbelt usage at about 73%, far below the national average of 91%.
It’s why King says her advocacy won’t end for the sake of her son’s life and anyone who get’s behind the wheel.
"He's smiling on us, that we're going to save lives in his name," King said.
King emphasizes that the seatbelt law change is just part of the solution. She notes that speeding, drugs, alcohol and other risk factors were at play her son's death. She's urging parents to stay on top of their young drivers to help that message of safe driving sink in.
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