Scooters continue to be involved in dangerous traffic accidents in the Virgin Islands, with three of the five wrecks resulting in injuries last week involving the vehicles, police stated on Monday. And following several recent instances in which scooter riders have hidden their vehicles to apparently stop them from being confiscated, fled the scene of a crash, or lashed out at officers for confiscating their vehicle, Police Commissioner Michael Matthews noted his concern about how scooter riders conduct themselves in general and not just on the road.
“On Friday at the Road Town Police Station, the denial of one young male’s request for the return of his confiscated scooter resulted in an assault on the attending female officer as well as the male officer that went to her aid, both of whom had to be treated at the [Dr. Orlando Smith Hospital],” Mr. Matthews said, adding, “Unfortunately, these heated exchanges are way too frequent.”
While traffic statistics should guide government’s decisions on the accessibility of scooters, the general character of potential riders and their willingness to respect laws such as the Noise Control and Abatement Act have to be considered as well, police stated.