Although all motorists and their passengers are being urged to buckle-up as the government makes ready to enforce the 2002 legislation, Minister of Transport and Aviation Glenys Hanna-Martin announced Sunday that an additional 30-day grace period has been granted.
She said the time will be used by traffic officers to “heighten awareness and give friendly warning” to drivers as to the advantages and disadvantages of wearing a seat-belt.
The seat belt laws were passed in January 2002, with the “Appointed Day” for being implemented being July of the same year, but later suspended pending completion of a review of seat belt legislation in other countries such as the United States, Canada, Europe, the United Kingdom and the Caribbean.
The Bahamian driving public has had 18 months to become accustomed to wearing seat belts.
Under the legislation, the driver of a motor vehicle must ensure that he or she and all passengers are secured by seat belts while the vehicle is in motion.
However, Minister Hanna-Martin said with the upcoming enforcement there still remains some difficulties. She said during the review, it was discovered that in a lot of the jurisdictions there was a progressive kind of development toward the use of seat-belts.
For example, she said, it started with front seat passengers and, overtime, back seat passengers were also required to wear seat belts.
“We in The Bahamas went into the extreme end of safety in terms of the seat-belt law. The problems we are now facing is how do we now go and amend laws to reduce standards,” she said.
Minister Hanna-Martin noted that presently consideration is being given to fixed penalties, which will include police officers issuing tickets on the spot to the driver, eliminating a court appearance. At it stands now, every person who is ticketed for seat-belt violation has to go to court.
Consideration is also being given to introducing alternative penalties – like community service, defensive driving course, and revocation or suspension of licenses.
Presently, fines can range from $1 to $300, she explained.
“We are just trying to move away from the fine thing, because we are trying to bring a more educational aspect into the whole idea of it,” Minister Hanna-Martin said.
As the law is now enacted no child under the age of five should be in the front seat, but should be placed in a child seat in the back of the vehicle.
This again, Minister Hanna-Martin said, raises some problems, as in other jurisdictions they are using weight and not age.
“That is something we are looking into – whether that is an appropriate test or criteria in determining who should be in a child seat,” the minister said.
Older children must be restrained as well.
Another issue is with taxi drivers. Reportedly, they are not happy with the provisions which states that all passengers must wear a seat belt. Minister Hanna-Martin said their complaint is that it will bring about a considerable cost to them.
Under the law, omni-bus or jitney service has been excluded.
The act makes it mandatory for all vehicles to be fitted with belts.
Responsibility for this is placed on vehicle owners.
Motor vehicle dealers are required to ensure that all vehicles offered for sale are fitted with seat belts before they are sold to the public.
Dealers should not import vehicles without belts, the Road Traffic Department said. It added that if motorists own vehicles that have no belts, they can have them installed for about $50 by dealers and firms that sell car parts.
Minister Hanna Martin stressed that the legislation is being driven by the need for heightened road safety, and by the fact that seat belts and child restraint devices save lives.
“In the ensuing months that we are working with the police we are seeking to raise awareness of people. I would recommend to all Bahamians that all passengers in the vehicle should be seat-belted over the next 30 days. In the interim we should be making certain recommendations to modify the difficult areas,” she said.
By Keva Lightbourne, The Nassau Guardian
