Ministry seeks input on potential seat belt law
The Ministry of communications and Works is soliciting the public's input on a potential enactment of a Seat Belt Law in the British Virgin Islands.
This month a questionnaire will be published in the local newspapers from March 27th to April 6th that will allow residents to share their views. The responses are expected to determine how effective such a law would be and what other aspects of the existing Road Traffic Act need to be amended to ensure that drivers, passengers and pedestrians are protected to the fullest extent of the law.
The Seat Belt Law would seek to regulate other areas as well, including making it an offense to drive with young children standing in a moving vehicle, or sitting on the driver's or front passenger's lap.
Children under the age of 18 would not be allowed to ride in bed of a pick up truck and it would be an offense to leave any child up to the age of ten years unattended in a vehicle.
According to the Chief Licensing Officer Lawrence Walters the time is right for the enactment of a Seat Belt Law. "When we take into consideration the amount of traffic accidents that occur in the territory annually a Seat Belt Law would help to address this serious problem."
The deadline for the receipt of the questionnaire is Friday April 20, 2001. Residents are urged to fill out the forms completely and honestly and to make the effort to drop off the questionnaire at the designated drop off points.
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