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Virginia Legal News

Tidewater motorists, get ready for a new seat belt law

A number of new Virginia driving laws are set to take effect on July 1, 2010, and among them are new seat belt laws that will definitely affect drivers in the Tidewater region.

The new laws were enacted to make seatbelt enforcement easier, and to send a message to drivers and their passengers that seat belts save lives.  One of the laws also closed a loophole that allowed 16 and 17 year old drivers to ride in a Virginia vehicle without a seat belt.

Here’s a summary of some of the new Virginia seat belt laws:

• All vehicle passengers under the age of 18 must wear a seat belt, no matter if they are riding in a front seat or back seat.  Drivers can be stopped for having unbelted passengers under the age of 18 as a primary offense.  That means police can stop the driver for no reason other than seat belt enforcement – and the driver will get a ticket if an unbelted person under 18 is discovered.
• Drivers and passengers 18 and older must wear a seatbelt in the front seat of the car, but this is a secondary offense.  A driver cannot be stopped by police simply because somebody over the age of 18 is not wearing a seat belt in the vehicle.  However, if the driver is stopped for another reason and it turns out somebody over the age of 18 is not wearing a seat belt in the front seat, the officer may issue a ticket.

Tidewater residents, you’ve been warned.  Time to buckle up!

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