More than one year after the Vehicle and Road Traffic Amendment Act of 2009 was enacted to make operating a vehicle without wearing a seatbelt illegal, the law remains unenforceable on the streets of the Federation.

In speaking with The Observer, Head of Traffic Inspector Cromwell Henry explained that though the law was passed, the regulations needed to be gazetted before it took effect.

"The amendment came in January, 2009. However, the Legal Affairs Department needs to iron out the necessary regulations before it becomes a ticketable offence. The regulations will not only speak to the use of seatbelts for drivers but also front seat passengers and small children. It will also encompass the prohibition of the use of cell phones while driving," Henry said.

The Inspector said he could not speculate on a time frame for the Law to become enforceable however the Department was actively engaged in an education drive encouraging the use of seatbelts.

"This law is meant for the protection of lives so we have been reminding persons to buckle up and not use cell phones while driving. We are hoping that people do not wait for police to start enforcing that law to do something meant to save their lives and the lives of persons travelling in their vehicles. If persons start the practice now, they will become accustomed to buckling up and will not get caught and ticketed when the law is enforced."

Henry also took the opportunity to caution drivers about multitasking while operating a vehicle, saying careless driving accounted for more than 90% of road accidents.

"Driving without due care and attention is the number one cause for most traffic accidents. Anything that takes your attention away from driving, no matter how brief, can cause an accident; it's not just using a cell phone. Simply looking down to tune a radio, checking one's appearance in a mirror, or looking back while conversing with someone in the back seat takes one's attention of the road and in a split second an accident occurs."

He said not obeying basic traffic rules such as maintaining a safe distance from the vehicle in front of you, stopping at stops signs, not overtaking at junctions and not looking before reversing or pulling off also increased the probability of accidents.
In the first two months of 2010 there were 34 road accidents recorded in the Basseterre area; none have been fatal. In 2009 there were a total of 1125 reported accidents in the Federation- 868 in St. Kitts and 257 in Nevis. There were 4 fatal accidents occurring last year, all in St. Kitts; a drastic reduction from the 11recorded in 2008.

Over the two previous years more than 82% of reported accidents were non-injury while approximately 3% were considered serious.

In 2009 there were 14625 vehicles registered in St. Kitts and 7022 in Nevis, however, only 11719 and 4917 were licensed respectively.

Inspector Henry urged drivers to be alert behind the wheel and to avoid speeding as this practice increases the risk and severity of accidents. He also informed that although traffic offences are not a part of one's criminal record, a spotty driving record could affect individuals in other ways.

"Having an excess of traffic tickets or accidents on your driving record can be costly as it relates to your vehicle insurance premiums. Also when one applies for jobs that involve operating a vehicle or apply for foreign driver's licenses, employers and traffic officials check with the local department to determine if that individual is a liability behind the wheel."