New Virginia law requires all adults to wear seatbelts in cars

New Virginia law requires all adults to wear seatbelts in cars

As of July 1, 2025, adults must wear their seatbelts in Virginia, even if they’re sitting in the backseat of a car. That hadn’t been the case previously. Only front seat adult passengers were required to buckle-up.

WASHINGTON - As of July 1, 2025, adults must wear their seatbelts in Virginia, even if they’re sitting in the backseat of a car. That hadn’t been the case previously. Only front seat adult passengers were required to buckle-up.

"Unbelievably, Virginia has the lowest seatbelt usage in the nation," explained Del. Karen Keys-Gamarra, who sponsored the legislation. She was referring to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showing that only about 73 percent of Virginians buckled-up in 2023, far below the national average of nearly 92 percent.

"I think it’ll save lives," she added. "I mean, that’s the bottom line."

There are some exceptions. For instance, both taxi drivers and passengers are exempt.

What they're saying:

"It was the one time he didn’t buckle up that took his life," Christy King said of her son Christopher. In 2020, just weeks after he graduated high school, Christopher was in the backseat of a speeding convertible. It hit a ditch. Christopher was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the car’s backseat. "At the time, the law was, for adults, you don’t have to wear a seatbelt in the backseat."

King has advocated for stricter seatbelt laws ever since, along with several of Christopher’s friends. One of them is Fred Hannah, who was in the car with Christopher the night of the crash but survived.

"Simply wearing your seatbelt could’ve saved a life, and I know it sounds cliché, but buckling up does save lives, seatbelts do save lives," Hannah told Fox 5.

Dig deeper:

The bill’s full text can be found here.