New Seat Belt Law To Impact 7 Million Americans
Millions of people in Virginia will be mandated to wear seat belts no matter where they are sat in a vehicle from next month.
The legislation, signed by Governor Glenn Youngkin in March, requires everyone to wear a seat belts even if they are sat in the back seats of a motor vehicle from July 1.
Virginia previously only required passengers in the front two seats and children to buckle up.
Newsweek contacted Youngkin's office for comment by email outside of regular working hours.
Virginia ranked last for seat belt usage among U.S. states in a 2024 report by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Only 73.2 percent of people in Virginia used seat belts in 2023, which was the state's lowest recorded percentage since 2016.
The new legislation states that any driver or passenger at least 18 years of age will have to wear the "appropriate safety belt system at all times while the motor vehicle is in motion on any public highway." The law affects around 6.9 million people in the state.
A few exemptions exist, including when a licensed physician determines that the use of a seat belt for a patient would be "impractical by reason of such person's physical condition or other medical reason."
Law-enforcement officers who are transporting people in custody or "traveling in circumstances which render the wearing of such safety belt system impractical" will also be exempt.
Rural mail carriers for the U.S. Postal Service will also be exempt when carrying out deliveries, as will taxi passengers.
Any person who violates the law will have to pay a fine of 25 dollars.
The new legislation, also known as the "Christopher King Seat Belt Law," was championed by Christy King, whose son was killed in a car crash shortly after graduating high school.
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles said on its website: "Effective July 1, 2025, Virginia law requires all occupants of motor vehicles to be restrained by a seat belt, regardless of where they are seated in the vehicle. Children under age 8 must be secured in a property child safety seat, and rear-facing child seats must still be placed in the back seat of a vehicle."
Christy King wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter: "We are proud of our hard work in fighting for change and to see this law become a reality! The Christopher King Seat Belt Law will take effect on July 1, 2025. We love you, Christopher. Your memory & impact will live on through this important law. Buckle Up."
The law comes into force on July 1, and all adults over the age of 18 bar of few exceptions will be required to wear seat belts or risk facing penalty charges.
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