Flemings’ Transport Company, Inc. has partnered with the Virgin Islands Police Department and the Office of Highway Safety to boost child passenger safety across the territory by helping provide car seats for families in need, a press release announced.
The company covered port-to-port shipping costs, allowing the Office of Highway Safety to expand its inventory of child safety restraint systems — devices that have become increasingly difficult to find locally since the COVID-19 pandemic. The partnership enabled the purchase and distribution of 300 car seats per district, spanning a range of sizes for different developmental stages, according to the press release.
“Child passenger safety is of paramount concern,” said VIOHS Director Daphne O’Neal in a May 22 press release. “With an average of 14 crashes logged in the territory daily, we cannot continue to gamble with the lives of these young passengers. With Flemings’ Transport’s generous partnership, we are pleased to assist caregivers with safeguarding their children’s lives while complying with VI laws.”
Under Virgin Islands law, car seats or booster seats are required for children under age eight or shorter than 4 feet, 9 inches. But with many retailers unable to maintain stock of the devices, the burden has fallen on families to find alternative sources — often at high cost. Import fees for bulky car seats can exceed 50 percent of the purchase price, making affordability a key barrier, the press release stated.
By absorbing the transportation costs, Flemings’ helped the department stretch its funding further, ensuring a wider distribution of seats to households at no or low cost, the release stated.
Residents seeking more information about child passenger safety or traffic safety programs can contact the Office of Highway Safety through Director O’Neal at daphne.oneal@vipd.vi.gov or Program Manager Denise Gomes at denise.gomes@vipd.vi.gov, or by calling 340-473-7383.
