A new seatbelt law is soon going to be in place that will require every passenger to buckle up regardless of where they are sitting in the vehicle. The new rule, which was passed by the state lawmakers during the last General Assembly session, will be in effect starting July 1.
As per the new rule, if any adult sitting in the front or back of the car skips their seatbelt, the driver will be obliged to pay a fine of $25 per unbuckled passenger. Previously, only front-seat passengers were required to wear seatbelts, as per the rule that has been in place since 1988.
The new bill, sponsored by Delegate Karen Keys-Gamarra, a Democrat from Fairfax County, emphasizes the importance of wearing seatbelts to avoid accidents. However, it is to be noted that the law is going to be a secondary enforcement. This means the cops can only issue a fine if the driver gets pulled over for something else, including traffic rule violations like speeding or running a red light, as reported by The Sun.
According to The Progressive Index, state data unveiled that seatbelt use is still a major issue on Virginia roads. The state passed this new rule due to federal pressure, which threatened to withhold highway funding from states that didn’t comply with the seatbelt law. Virginia is now one of the 34 states that require backseat riders to wear seatbelts. Only 15 states in America still mandate seat belts for front-seat passengers. Notably, New Hampshire is the only state that doesn’t require adults to buckle up, regardless of where they sit.
According to data from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), at least 35% people were killed in crashes in 2024 for not wearing seatbelts.
Alongside this new seatbelt law, Virginia is gearing up to bring another new road rule over the summer. Starting on July 1, street “takeovers” will fall under reckless driving laws. Delegate David Bulova, another Democrat from Fairfax County, has backed this bill. The takeovers also include donuts, drag races, drifting, and riding on car hoods.
According to data by Insurify, when it comes to street takeovers in the Unites States, Virginia boasts the sixth-highest number. North Dakota, Wyoming, Kansas, Montana, and Utah claimed the top five spots on the list. However, it is to be noted that all five of these states have much smaller populations than Virginia.
Apart from these two rules, there could be another big law coming in 2026. Exactly a year from now, certain speeding offenders will be required to install an electronic GPS-based device in their car, which will limit how fast the driver can go by blocking the gas pedal once the speed limit is reached.
