Serious injuries decrease with Virginia’s (VA) seatbelt law

Virginia (VA) Car Accident Lawyers
Offices in VA Beach, Hampton & Elizabeth City, NC  


A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) showed that within a year of Virginia (VA) putting in a mandatory seatbelt law there were less injuries to front seat passengers. The study was done of injuries in Charlottesville, Virginia (VA). After the seatbelt law there was a substantial decrease in injuries which was attributed mainly to less head and face injuries from contact with the windshield or dashboard. In Virginia (VA) we do not have a primary enforcement seatbelt law currently. That kind of law would allow a police officer to issue a ticket anytime they see someone who is unbelted and driving a vehicle. Virginia (VA) law is still that officers may issue seatbelt citations only if you have been stopped for some other traffic offense. A different rule applies as to child restraint systems. There is some talk of going to a national primary enforcement seatbelt law.

In North Carolina (NC), there is a primary enforcement type law. North Carolina (NC) has also added a recent law saying that even back seat passengers have to use seatbelts. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, seatbelts have saved 13,000 lives each year. Each year approximately 7,000 people die in vehicle wrecks because they did not use seatbelts. Statistics show that you are much more likely to survive a major crash if you are restrained, than if you aren’t. At night time people are less likely to be wearing their seatbelts. You are more likely to die in a car accident at night than one during the day.
Please buckle up!


Virginia Beach, VA Personal Injury Attorneys
Virginia (VA) Personal Injury Lawyers
Specializing in Virginia Wrongful Death & Injury Law