WILLIAMSBURG – As April marks Distracted Driving Awareness Month, one local mother is turning personal tragedy into a statewide mission to save lives and reshape how young drivers think about safety.
Christy King has spent years educating students across Williamsburg and beyond after losing her son, Christopher, in a 2019 crash shortly after his graduation from Jamestown High School. Her advocacy now reaches thousands of students each year, emphasizing the deadly consequences of distracted and unsafe driving.
“This time of year is the perfect time to raise awareness,” King said, noting that April serves as a lead-in to the “100 deadliest days” between Memorial Day and Labor Day, when teen crash fatalities historically spike.
King said distracted driving remains one of the most misunderstood dangers on the road.
According to the National Highway Traffic Administration, distracted driving is “any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system.”
Her message is deeply personal. Christopher was killed in a crash involving multiple risk factors: speeding, impairment, distractions and failure to wear a seat belt. He had switched seats moments before the crash.
“It was the one time he didn’t buckle up that took his life,” King said. “But the other three kids survived because of their seat belts.”
Through the Christopher King Foundation, King and her team have delivered dozens of presentations this year alone at middle schools, high schools and colleges. Their approach combines statistics with emotional storytelling, often featuring crash survivors and Christopher’s friends.
“We educate everywhere we go about these risk factors so that our kids are well educated,” she said.
Students often respond in powerful ways. King recalled one student who changed her behavior after hearing Christopher’s story.
“She said, ‘I started wearing my seat belt,’” King said. “And she was almost in a crash, but she was safe because of it.”
Beyond classrooms, King’s advocacy has led to policy change. After discovering Virginia had one of the lowest seat belt usage rates in the nation, she pushed for legislative action, eventually helping pass the “Christopher King seat belt law,” which took effect in July 2025.
According to state data, the law has already contributed to a reduction in traffic deaths.
“We just got a report … crediting the law with a 15% reduction in traffic deaths,” King said.
Her work has also gained national recognition. King is set to receive an award from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for her contributions to traffic safety.
Still, she says awareness and education remain critical, especially among young drivers who may underestimate the risks.
“They don’t think it’s going to happen to them,” King said. “Your life is so important. Don’t let that be taken from you because of one second.”
As part of her outreach, King encourages simple but life-saving habits: putting phones out of reach, wearing seat belts and speaking up when others drive unsafely.
Her message to drivers this month is clear and direct: “Phones down, buckle up and slow down.”
With community events, school programs and social media campaigns, King continues working to make Williamsburg, and Virginia as a whole, safer for the next generation of drivers. The foundation is having their 6th annual “Cars for Chris” car show this May 9 in Williamsburg.
“We have to start younger,” she said. “The more distractions we can take away, the better.”
