State Police to Enforce Seat Belt Usage

With the summer season in progress, Virginia State Police are reminding all drivers and passengers of the state law that now requires all passengers under the age of 18 to be properly secured.

As of July 1, 2010, Virginia law on seat belt usage for underage passengers riding in a backseat was expanded to include 16 and 17-year-olds. If front seat passengers are riding unbuckled or if persons under age 18 are not properly restrained, it is the driver who can be charged with a safety belt violation.

As of July 1, 2010, in Virginia:

• Children from birth through seven years of age must be safely secured in a child safety restraint (to include booster seats).
• Those passengers between the ages of eight and 17 must wear a seat belt while riding in the backseat and front seat of a vehicle.
• Existing law requires everyone sitting in the front seat of a vehicle to be buckled up.

Throughout the summer months, Virginia State Police will be concentrating on occupant restraint violations through enforcement and education as part of the Click It or Ticket campaign. Statistics show that with the proper use of seat belts, drivers and passengers are 40 percent less likely to be fatally injured during a traffic crash.

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