Krizek proposes tighter seat belt rules for passengers, school buses

Del. Paul Krizek represents the 44th district, which includes a large part of the Richmond Highway area. (Courtesy of Paul Krizek)

Virginia State Del. Paul Krizek (D-44) is introducing five bills at the General Assembly this session, including one that would require all motor vehicle occupants to wear seat belts and one that would mandate that all school buses have seat belts.

In Virginia, the driver and front seat passengers are currently required to wear seat belts, as well as any passenger under the age of 18. Krizek’s bill, HB 1158, would make it a secondary offense for any passenger to fail to use a seat belt. 

A secondary offense means that police officers are only allowed to give tickets if they have pulled the driver over for another reason.

Krizek, whose district covers much of the Richmond Highway area, says he got the idea for the bill from Jonathan Tucker, a junior at West Potomac High School. Tucker proposed the legislation while serving as an Amundsen Institute scholar during the 2016 session of the legislature.

Virginia is one of 26 states that does not currently require all passengers to wear seat belts. Krizek said that 58 percent of back seat passengers killed in 2014 were not buckled up.

Seat belts for school buses

Krizek has also submitted a bill, HB 1561, that would require all school buses in the state to be equipped with seat belts by 2027. 

The National Transportation and Safety Bureau has recommended that all new school buses to come with 3-point seat belts for riders. Only six states currently require seat belts on school buses. Last year the issue became national news after six students were killed in a crash in Tennessee, with lawmakers around the country calling for stricter laws. 

Additionally, Krizek is the lead sponsor on four other bills this session:

• Temporary injunction of contract for services; rape, forcible sodomy, or object sexual penetration (HB 1557)
• Online renewal of special identification cards for persons 70 years of age or older (HB 1559)
• Procedure when aliens convicted of certain felonies; forms (HB 1560)

The general assembly convenes for the 2017 session on Jan. 11.  Krizek’s ( or any legislators’) bills are first referred to a committee, and then assigned to a subcommittee. The subcommittee will vote to take action on the bill (yes, no, or table it), and if it passes the full committee will then take a similar vote. If the bill is approved by the committee, it goes to the floor of the House of Delegates.