Over 1.2 million Virginians will hit the road this Memorial Day weekend according to AAA, and Virginia State Police want every one of them wearing a seat belt in line with a new state law.
Last Memorial Day weekend state troopers wrote over 530 summonses for seat belt violations, and they plan to be back on the road in full force this year.
“Driving a car is the most dangerous thing that most of us do on any given day," Virginia State Police Superintendent Colonel Matthew Hanley said Friday morning.
"And the one simple task of fastening your seat belt can save your life.”
Hanley said his troopers would be looking specifically for seat belt violations, but he noted they are secondary offenses, only subject to a summons if you’ve already been pulled over for something else. There’s also a new law coming soon; it requires everyone in a vehicle, front seat or back seat, child or adult, to wear a seat belt or face a citation.
“It doesn’t matter where you are in a car, if you get in an accident and you don’t have your seatbelt on, the chances of you being injured or killed are dramatically higher,” Hanley said.
If you don’t believe Colonel Hanley, just as Christy King. Five years ago, her son Christopher was joyriding in a convertible with some friends. He was in the back seat with no seatbelt on and the car hit a ditch.
“And that’s when my son was thrown from the car to his death. However, the other three passengers in the car survived because they had their seatbelts on. That’s the difference," King explained. "That’s the line between life and death.”
Virginia’s expanded seat belt law goes into effect July 1st.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
