Unrestrained Children Passengers

Dear Editor,

As I read this article in the most recent Tradewinds, I had to wonder….

Unrestrained people (especially children) are transported every day all around the island. I see drivers and passengers alike without seatbelts (again, especially children). Many drivers are still talking on their cell phones while operating their vehicles (police officers, too!), even though a law was recently passed prohibiting this.

I see many pickups and open ‘jeeps’ with unrestrained passengers riding in the back (and, again, children, too). If the most serious offense while transporting pets is allowing them to ride in the bed of a truck, what about people? Of course, a person isn’t as likely to jump out of a truck bed, but it has been known on more than one occasion that they can get bounced out when speeding over a bumpy road.

If transporting an unrestrained pet in a motor vehicle is “absolutely” a ticketable offense – it only makes more sense to me that transporting a person unrestrained (especially children) should be, too.
Adults operating a moving vehicle with a child riding in the passenger’s lap is also a very common sight (daily!).

Of course, children and other passengers should not be ‘crated,’ but seatbelts and child safety seats, I believe, are required by law.

I would encourage the VIPD to be as vigilant in ticketing offenders of seat belt and child safety seat laws as they seem to be (all of a sudden) with owners of unrestrained animals.

Name Withheld Upon Request