FREDERIKSTED — This President’s Day weekend, Police Commissioner Trevor Velinor and the Virgin Islands Office of Highway Safety (VIOHS) asked motorists throughout the territory to always be vigilant and safe.
“Safe driving practices preserve the lives of drivers, their passengers, and all who share our roads, ” they said.
In Fiscal Year 2020, the VIPD recorded 3,652 crashes resulting in 14 fatalities. 43 percent involved occupants who wore no seat belts; 64 alcohol-related crashes resulted in two casualties and 88 DUI arrests.
“Our goal is to protect the citizens of this community, so we have been spreading the message about the dangers of drunk driving for years,” Commissioner Velinor said. “We hope that with each campaign, more people listen, and DUI related crashes and arrests will decrease. It is imperative to remember that if you feel impaired by any substance, you should not get behind the wheel of a vehicle. Drivers should know that if they feel differently after substance use, they will inevitably drive differently.”
Wearing seat belts saves lives!
Virgin Islands law requires all vehicular passengers to wear the appropriate restraint in both front and rear seats. Children under the age of eight must sit in a proper car seat, while children under the age of fourteen must sit in the vehicle’s back seat. Seat belts and car seats, when used correctly, are proven to reduce the risk of sustaining life-threatening injuries resulting from motor vehicle crashes.