Fewer People Are Buckling Up, So The Police Are Cracking Down

U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — Seat belt usage is down across the territory, so the police are stepping up enforcement. The Virgin Islands Police Department announced on Monday that they are increasing seat belt enforcement from May 24 to June 6, 2021. Expect to see checkpoints where officers will be checking to make sure drivers and passengers are wearing seatbelts.

According to Occupant Protection Coordinator Denise Gomes, failure to comply with seatbelt laws will result in fines. Per the VI Code, drivers can be fined $100 and passengers can be fined $75. The fines increase for repeat offenders. The VIPD will also be checking to ensure that infants, toddlers, and children are properly restrained.

The renewed focus on seatbelts is part of a nationwide campaign called Click It or Ticket Border to Border. Both the VIPD and the VI Office of Highway Safety have joined the effort in response to a recent survey showing that seat belt usage is down across the territory.

Every year, the VI Office of Highway Safety (VIOHS) conducts an observational survey to determine seat belt compliance. Usage rates in the USVI are already well below national averages, however, the agency is more concerned that rates are dropping year-over-year. In 2020, the usage rate fell to 68.2%, 2.9 percentage points less than in 2019.

According to the 2020 survey, men are the least likely to buckle up. Only 61.6% of men use seat belts. The second biggest offender group is drivers of light pickup trucks, only 57.4% use seatbelts. Nighttime drivers are also prone to use seat belts less often.

According to a statement from the VIPD, "although the territory lacks the complexity of roads found on the mainland, crashes occur regularly. In 2020, there were 3,652 crashes in the territory with reportedly 214 involving unrestrained occupants. Of the territory’s 14 fatal crashes recorded in 2020, 43% of the victims were unrestrained."

For more information on seat belts, child car safety seat use or other safe driving practices, contact the Virgin Islands Office of Highway Safety through Director Daphnie O’Neal at daphne.oneal@vipd.vi.gov, or the Occupant Protection Coordinator Denise Gomes at denise.gomes@vipd.vi.gov.

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