The VI Police Department/Office of Highway Safety received the support of Gov. Albert Bryan Jr. in promoting the safe transport of children during Child Passenger Safety (CPS) Week – Sept. 15 -21.
During this week, the agency will place emphasis on laws, strategies, and resources that increase child passenger safety awareness for motorists who transport young children and improve crash outcomes for child passengers, according to the departments.
The 2023 Rear Seat Observational Survey commissioned by VIOHS reported that 66.9 percent of children under age 12 riding unrestrained or under-restrained (without the appropriate child safety restraint). Data collected by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that unrestrained drivers are likelier to pass the risk on to children in their care. The local survey reported that 39.5 percent of children under age 12 rode unrestrained when the driver was restrained. Conversely, when the driver was unrestrained, 90.6 percent of these children rode unsafely, the press release stated.
“Adults play a key role in securing child passengers in their care,” advised VIOHS Director Daphne O’Neal. “By adhering to the law and setting a safe example, we create a culture of safety that will secure our children for a lifetime.” In the territory, according to the survey, only 68.2 percent of drivers and their front seat passengers wore seat belts. On the mainland, this compliance rate is 91.6 percent.
CPS week will culminate with National Seat Check Saturday, where caregivers can receive a free car seat safety check to ensure safe car seat fit, use, and installation. Car seats, when used correctly, are proven to reduce the risk of injuries and fatalities for child crash victims. In the territory, children under the age of eight or less than 4’9” tall are required to sit secured in an appropriate car or booster seat. Additionally, children under age 14 must ride in the back seat only, the release stated.
For more information on child passenger safety and resources, to request a presentation, or to learn more about National Seat Check Saturday, 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 or via telephone at (340) 473-7383.
