A slew of new laws is now in effect in the Commonwealth, including a new driving law. All passengers in a vehicle, even those in the back seat, are required to wear seat belts.
Safety advocates hope it will end a dubious distinction: federal stats show Virginia ranks last in the nation for seat belt use.
The law is named for Christopher King, a Williamsburg-area teen who was killed on July 4, 2020, just weeks after his high school graduation. His family and friends lobbied for the new law.
“The only way that all of these safety features in vehicles work is if you’re properly restrained. If you’re not, then it makes all of the efforts that they’ve done to make vehicles safer completely futile.”
Alvin Costa, Christopher King Foundation
Meanwhile, the Virginia State Police are out in force this holiday weekend as part of an operation targeting dangerous driving behaviors, including not buckling up.