After Tragic Losses, Mothers Push for Stronger Driving Laws in Virginia

Two Virginia mothers who lost their children in car crashes are turning their grief into action, working with state lawmakers to push for stricter driver and passenger safety laws. Their efforts could lead to new penalties for unlicensed minors driving, expanded driver education in public schools, and a requirement for all adults in a vehicle to wear seat belts.

Pictured from left are mothers Tammy McGee and Christy King holding images of their late sons who died in car crashes. (Photo by Nathaniel Cline/Virginia Mercury)

“We have a long way to go and this is just the start,” said Christy King, whose son, Christopher, died in a car crash in 2020. She spoke this week before a House Transportation subcommittee in support of House Bill 2475, carried by Del. Karen Keys-Gamarra, D-Fairfax, which would amend current law to require all adult passengers to wear seatbelts, not just those in the front seats.

Christopher King had just graduated when he was thrown from the backseat of a convertible, unbuckled, as the driver sped at 80 mph in a 30 mph zone when he hit a ditch. Three others survived, including Fred Hannah, who supports the bill.

“It’s a good thing that they’re pushing it forward because … seatbelts save lives and it could save so many more lives into the future,” Hannah said. “So for them to do this, it’s a good start.”

While lawmakers agreed to advance road safety legislation, they did so with some compromises. The language in Keys-Gamarra’s bill was modified so that failing to buckle up would not be a primary offense, meaning law enforcement could not stop a vehicle for that violation. The measure includes a $25 fine and has been sent to the full House for consideration.

The push for stronger seatbelt laws comes as Virginia was ranked worst in the nation for seatbelt use in 2023, with just 73.2% of residents buckling up, far below the national average of 91.9%, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Tammy McGee, who lost her son in a 2019 crash involving an unlicensed, underage driver, has become a lead advocate for road safety.

She is championing House Bill 2213, introduced by Del. Delores McQuinn, D-Richmond, which would expand access to in-car driver education through public schools. The bill, which is not a mandate for school divisions, aims to reduce the number of unlicensed student drivers and has already passed the House. It is set to be introduced in the Senate as early as next week.

McGee is also backing House Bill 1549 and Senate Bill 750, sponsored by Del. W. Chad Green, R-York, and Sen. Danny Diggs, R-York, which seek to hold owners accountable when unlicensed minors drive their cars.

The bills, currently in committee, would charge the vehicle owner with a Class 1 misdemeanor if an unlicensed minor is caught driving. Lawmakers are considering modifying the bills under a different legal code section.

“These two bills are coinciding to be able to get our teenagers the education that they need, and then to also hold parents, or anyone accountable, who is unlicensed out on our roadways driving,” McGee said. “These are two great pieces of legislation to save lives.”

by Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury

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