Comments Document

My son, Christopher, was killed in a car crash shortly after graduating high school. It was the one time he didn't buckle up in the back of a convertible that took his life. By supporting this bill, it will add all seats to be required under our current law instead of just the front seats. The law was written in the 80s and needs serious improvements as Virginia is currently the worst state in the country for seat belt usage at only 73%. The national usage average is 92%. We have a long way to go to improve our rates and this is a good start. Please support HB2475 and join us in saving lives. Sincerely, Christy King, Christopher's mom Attaching stats

Members of the Committee: Virginia has the lowest observed seatbelt use rate in the contiguous United States. We need to make a clear stance to Virginians that seatbelts are essential to their safety. Consider the facts on rear seatbelt usage: • Unrestrained occupants are a danger to others in the vehicle. They can become a projectile and increase the risk of hurting or killing others by 40%. (NHTSA) • Studies show that rear seat belts can reduce fatalities by at least 60% in passenger vehicles and up to 70% in SUVs and light trucks. (NHTSA) • In frontal crashes with an unbelted passenger sitting behind the driver, the unbelted rear seat passengers increase the risk of fatality among belted drivers by 137% compared with belted rear seat passengers. (Injury Prevention, 10(6):363-7, 2004) Please support this bill. Thank you! Kristin Pettway Executive Director, DRIVE SMART Virginia

Comments Document

Good Afternoon My name is Debbie Jennings, Director of Highway Safety Programs for the Chesapeake Region Safety Council, I am a Virginia resident. Our organization is a 101-year-old chapter of the National Safety Council (CRSC). We conduct additional advocacy and efforts for safety – on the roads, in the community and the workplace throughout Virginia and surrounding states, independent of our responsibilities and programs as the assigned National Safety Council chapter for the state. This written testimony is being submitted in favor of Senate Bill 2475 – which will change the current seat belt law to include required use by rear seat passengers. In 2023, only 73.2% of Virginians buckled up, the lowest use rate in the country – compared to the national average of 91.9%. This low use rate results in a higher number of injuries and fatalities – and the associated costs of lost income and hospital/long term care. NHTSA has estimated that rear seat passengers are 3 times more likely to be fatally injured in a crash if they are unbuckled, and that rear seat belt use increases from an average of 73% to 82% if a rear seat belt use law is in place – which prevents injuries and saves lives. The costs to society following a severe crash can be greatly reduced when safety measures are taken advantage of. The Chesapeake Region Safety Council urges this Subcommittee to take action to save lives by advancing HB 2475. Contact: Debbie Jennings, Director of Highway Safety Programs and Special Projects Chesapeake Region Safety Council 443.532.5847

29 January, 2025 HB 2475. Dear Committee & Interested Parties, From what I understand, someone lost a child who was not wearing a seat belt when the vehicle they were riding in was involved in an accident. The death of this child apparently prompted a family member to press for a new law requiring that rear seat occupants wear seatbelts at all times.    The family's grief is certainly understandable. The question is whether grief ought to become the basis for a new law.  It’s a tough situation to be a representative in the same room with the petitioner of the bill who has lost a loved one and have to explain that, as hurtful as the loss is, freedom must endure. On a practical, day to day level, law enforcement officers don’t need another rule to enforce and the court system doesn’t need more traffic ‘violations’ to deal with. This is our chance as freedom lovers (and the political climate is currently ripe) for finally ridding ourselves of the default response of making more laws in response to a personal tragedy. Short of judging motivation, it is most certainly a characteristic of human nature to seek closure from such tragedies by defining a culprit (in this case the lack of a back seat, belt law) so that there is something to blame besides personal decisions.  The nature of human emotions often needs an outlet, a culprit upon which to vent and pour those depressing emotions out.   That may sound a bit rough but it is as objective of an analysis as I can muster and it cannot be denied. If the motivation isn’t closure but rather, a sincere crusade to save others from such tragedy, then bless you for the motivation but frankly, no one has a right to ‘save’ others based on their perceptions of what will ‘save’ others via law enforcement.  I would ask the committee and even the victim(s) to take a step back and a measured look at the implications of more government power. Thank you, Joe Bowman Check, VA