Traffic & Transit
Police Announce Seat Belt Enforcement Checkpoints
VIPD will set up enforcement checks over the next few weeks to encourage more drivers and passengers to wear their seat belts.
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — The Virgin Islands Police Department announced that they will be setting up seat belt enforcement checkpoints in the upcoming weeks.
“Virgin Islanders must take a proactive approach to roadway safety,” said Police Commissioner Trevor A. Velinor. “Officers will be increasing seat belt enforcement efforts to reduce risks for preventable injuries and untimely fatalities. The law is simple; everyone in the car must be buckled.”
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Virgin Islands' law stipulates that seat belts are required for all vehicle occupants, including rear seat passengers. But compliance with that law remains a challenge. According to the USVI annual Observational Seat Belt Survey, only 68.2% of drivers and their front seat passengers used seatbelts. That's pretty low, especially when compared to a US compliance rate of 90%.
In 2020 there were 14 fatalities caused by car crashes in the territory.
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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 O’Neal at daphne.oneal@vipd.vi.gov, or Occupant Protection Coordinator Denise Gomes at denise.gomes@vipd.vi.gov.
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