The territory’s top cop said last week that all elements are virtually in place to implement the compulsory automobile insurance law, which takes effect on Feb.13.
Police Commissioner Franz "Buffy" Christian said the department stands ready to enforce the law. "I’m asking all motorists in the Virgin Islands to make certain that their vehicles are insured as provided for in the law," Christian said, adding that officers will make routine checks of motorists to ensure that they are in compliance.
"While officers will rely on the registration sticker to prove your insurance coverage, all motorists should have an insurance certificate just in the event that an accident occurs and an officer asks to see proof of coverage," the commissioner said on a St. Croix radio talk show at week’s end.
Vehicles will not be registered after Feb. 13 unless a driver can show proof of an existing insurance policy, he noted.
"The insurance companies are either providing a certificate upon the policy being effected or are urging residents to retain their receipt to prove that a policy has been paid for," Commissioner Christian said.
Insurance Commissioner Lt. Gov. Gerard Luz James II, director of banking and insurance Maryleen Thomas and industry representatives have been making the rounds of the local press in both districts providing details of how mandatory insurance, which has not been required for the past 15 years, is being implemented. The officials hope the information will clear any misunderstandings in the community about the importance of such a law.
