Mandatory to buckle up
from this Wednesday
~mandatory child seats, forbidden cell phone use while driving~
PHILIPSBURG--From tomorrow Wednesday, August 1, it will be mandatory for motorists on the island to buckle up while behind the wheel; they will only be able to use hands-free mobile phone devices and will have to ensure that their children are safely secured in a child seat.
It will also be mandatory for vehicles to stop at marked pedestrian crossings to give pedestrians right of way and motorbikes, quads and three wheelers will be “strongly advised” to wear helmets “for their own safety.”
These measures are part of the amended traffic ordinance which will go into effect from August 1. The ordinance was amended several months ago.
Government Information Services (GIS) had embarked on a public awareness campaign over the past few weeks to enlighten residents about the new regulations.
A seatbelt law is already in place in French St. Martin and many motorists already buckle up automatically and don’t use their mobile phones when on the French side.
Transportation Commissioner Louie Laveist said earlier that this new regulation was a safety measure for motorists. He said more than 1.2 million people were killed on roads worldwide every year and up to 50 million more were injured, many because they hadn’t been wearing their seatbelts.
“The amendments to the law entails that all persons riding in a vehicle will be required to wear a seatbelt; children will have to be properly secured in a child restraint safety seat; it is strongly recommended for those riding quads and trikes to wear a helmet for their own personal safety; it will be forbidden to use your cell phone while driving, only hands-free devices are allowed; and it will be mandatory for vehicles to stop at marked pedestrian crossings thereby giving pedestrians right of way,” the Commissioner said.
The Commissioner also said that car rental companies should ensure that they have child restraint safety seats for their clientele who have children. Wholesalers and suppliers of child safety seats and helmets were asked to start stocking an adequate supply of these items. “Child restraint safety seats will have to comply with international standards bearing the internationally established quality mark. The regulation of the quality standard will also come into effect as per August 1.”
Regarding seat belts, he said, the traffic ordinance stipulated that old vehicles with a manufacturing date of 1986 and after must have front seat belts while those manufactured in 1994 and after must have safety belts in the front and back seats of the vehicle.
