RICHMOND, Va. — Traffic safety advocates, crash survivors, and loved ones of those who did not survive crashes gathered at Hollywood Cemetery Friday morning ahead of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.
The event, co-hosted by DRIVE SMART Virginia, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, and the Chesapeake Region Safety Council, was to remember people who've been affected by preventable roadway crashes and urge all drivers to be more careful on the road.
According to DMV data, in Virginia last year there were over 127,000 crashes in the state and 907 deaths. The most common factor in those was speed, and the second-most was people not wearing a seatbelt.
Both those were factors in the death of Christopher King, 18, who was a passenger in a car that crashed on July 4, 2020. His mother, Christy King, says he was full of love and life and had dreams of becoming a chef or EMT.
King has since created a foundation in his memory and advocates for safe driving habits among young drivers.
"I had to do something bigger, because I am not the type of person that would just sit around and cry all day," King said. "I had to take this grief, this horrible tragedy, and turn it into something good. We talk to kids and teens about how important seat belts are and how dangerous a cell phone is while you're driving, and that it's okay to tell your mom or dad to put their phone down, it's not safe, or your grandpa to buckle up that you want them here in this world."
She added that according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Virginia has the lowest seatbelt use in the country at 73%, compared to the national average of 91%.
"I would just like for people today to stop for a second every time you see a memorial on the side of the road, a sign, and think about that person that died and how much their loved ones missed them and take that moment to be smarter," King said. "Make smarter decisions. Wear your seat belt, put your phone down when you're driving. It will save lives."
King said along with spreading the message of safe driving, she is also working to strengthen laws around seatbelt use. Right now, not using one is a secondary violation, meaning law enforcement cannot stop you just for that.
King said she is trying to get lawmakers to make it a primary violation, which would allow stops based on no seat belt use alone. She hopes to have legislation considered in the upcoming 2025 General Assembly session.
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