Child passenger safety certification training was provided to a cohort of personnel hailing from the V.I. Police Department, V.I. Fire and Emergency Medical Service, Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center, and the V.I. Education Department, the V.I. Police Department and V.I. Office of Highway Safety announced.
The four-day intensive certification training took place Monday through Thursday at the VIFEMS administrative office on St. Croix. Sixteen successful candidates earned a two-year nationally recognized certificate and will provide expert advice on fitting car seats and assistance with installation to motorists with children throughout the territory, according to the press release.
Child Passenger Safety Technicians (CPSTs) are trained to assist caregivers with choosing
the appropriate restraint for the children in their care and ensuring that it is used safely. “As the team of CPS Technicians grows in our community, we will create a web of accessible
caregiver support,” explained VIOHS Director Daphne O’Neal. “Ideally, much like medical
evaluations, caregivers should schedule an annual car seat checkup to ensure their child
passengers consistently ride safely.”
According to the 2023 Rear Seat Observational Survey commissioned by the VIOHS, over
66.9 percent of children under age 12 in the territory ride either unrestrained or under-restrained (without the appropriate child safety restraint). According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, car and booster seats are proven to reduce risks of injuries and fatalities for child crash victims. Transporting child passengers without appropriate restraint is against the law and reckless. In the territory, child passengers under age 14 are required to ride secured in the rear, and those under age 8 or less than 4’9” must be secured in an age, weight, and height-appropriate car or booster seat, the press release stated.
For more information on car seat use or the Child Passenger Safety Program, you may
contact the V.I. Office of Highway Safety through Director Daphne O’Neal at
daphne.oneal@vipd.vi.gov, or Occupant Protection Planner/Coordinator Denise Gomes at
denise.gomes@vipd.vi.gov. You may also contact the office via telephone at 340-772-3025 or 340-473-7383.
