RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has launched a powerful new seat belt safety campaign, “Impact”, to remind drivers and passengers that buckling up can mean the difference between life and death. The campaign focuses on rural Virginia, where fatal crash rates per vehicle mile traveled remain higher than in urban areas, and urges everyone to wear a seat belt, every trip, every time.
The new ad, available for viewing here, delivers an emotional reminder of how quickly a crash can change everything—and how one simple choice can change the outcome. In the spot, the hero walks away from a devastating crash because he chose to buckle up. That single decision saved him from serious injury or worse, allowing him to continue being the man his community counts on—the man he wants to be.
Rural roads, greater risk
While rural non-interstate roads make up only a quarter of the miles traveled in Virginia, they account for half of all fatal crashes. Risky behaviors like speeding, driving under the influence, and failing to buckle up contribute heavily to this tragic disparity.
In 2024, non-interstate unrestrained fatality rates were more than four times higher in rural locations than in urban locations (0.93 vs. 0.21 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled). The non-interstate speed related fatality rate was roughly three times greater in rural locations than in urban locations. This trend was also seen with the non-interstate alcohol related fatality rate.
“Too many lives are cut short because someone made the choice not to wear a seat belt,” said DMV Commissioner Gerald Lackey, the Governor’s Highway Safety Representative. “Our rural communities have been hit especially hard, and with this campaign we want to make it clear: a seat belt is your best defense in a crash—no matter how short the trip or how familiar the road.”
A law that saves lives
This campaign comes on the heels of Virginia’s new seat belt law—known as the Christopher King Law—which took effect July 1, 2025. The law requires all occupants, regardless of age or seating position, to wear a seat belt. It is named in honor of Christopher King, an 18-year-old who tragically lost his life in 2020 while riding unbuckled in the back seat.
According to DMV’s Highway Safety Office, 67% of back seat passengers killed in crashes in 2024 were not wearing a seat belt.
“Impact” is part of the DMV Highway Safety Office’s ongoing efforts to save lives by encouraging all Virginians to buckle up—every seat, every trip, every time.
- Buckle up before the vehicle moves—driver and passengers in the front seats and back seats.
- Seat belts save lives, and rural roads are no exception.
- Even at lower speeds, unbelted occupants can be seriously injured or killed in a crash.
- Start a conversation: ask your loved ones if they are protecting themselves by using a seat belt.
For more information on seat belt safety, visit www.dmv.virginia.gov/safety/programs/seat-belts.