Christy King is turning her grief into action after the loss of her 18-year-old son, Christopher King, in a tragic car accident on July 4, 2020. Christopher, a recent high school grad, went for a joyride in a convertible with friends. The driver, speeding at 80 MPH on a 35 MPH road and impaired, lost control, resulting in a crash. Christopher, seated in the back without a seatbelt, didn't survive.
Determined to prevent such tragedies, King established the Christopher King Foundation to raise awareness and promote safe driving among teens. “My son Christopher was the joy of my heart,” King says with a heavy heart.
“Encouraging parents and teens to have those conversations is crucial. The highest killers of our teens are speeding, not wearing seatbelts, and alcohol or drugs.”
King’s mission extends to legislation. Virginia has the lowest seatbelt compliance rate in the U.S., with only 75% of drivers buckling up, far below the national average of 91%., according to the National Highway Traffic Saftey Administration. Even more alarming, in Virginia last year, 53 teens died in crashed, and 47% weren't wearing seatbelts.
King aims to change Virginia’s secondary seatbelt law, which only allows police to issue seatbelt citations if drivers are stopped for another violation. She advocates for making seatbelt use a primary law, enabling officers to stop drivers solely for not wearing seatbelts. She hopes to call this new law the Christopher King Seatbelt Law, a fitting tribute to her son.
As King meets with state lawmakers, she hopes to rally bipartisan support for this critical change, ensuring no other family has to endure the heartbreak she’s experienced.
SOURCE: WHSV