A total of 38 motor scooter accidents including seven serious have already been recorded for the year 2022.
This is according to statistics provided by the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) which revealed the alarmingly large number of accidents involving motor scooters or motorcycles.
“Statistics for 2022 show seven of the eight serious accidents recorded involved a motor scooter or motorcycle. Similarly, of the 35 accidents with injuries, 16, almost half, are scooter/motorcycle related. A total of 38 recorded accidents involved motor scooters or motorcycles for the year,” the RVIPF stated.
Speaking on the gravity of the subject was Head of the Road Policing Unit Kishon Leslie who said the numbers reported were extremely high for the first half of the year.
He said while some of the accidents were not the fault of the scooter riders, the injuries sustained by riders are far greater.
“Accidents involving scooters tend to be serious because the body of a rider is exposed and more vulnerable to injuries. Without a crash helmet these injuries are even more substantial to include broken bones and brain injuries,” he stated.
Leslie stated that scooters are very efficient in terms of travel, gas and parking, however, a higher level of attentiveness must be exercised by riders to avoid collisions.
He noted that just the opposite is being practiced and he is not seeing the required due care and attention by riders on the BVI’s roadways.
The territory has recorded five road fatalities for the year, with three being motor scooter riders.