Seatbelt, cell phone violators
will be fined starting today
PHILIPSBURG--Chief Prosecutor Taco Stein has announced that the new fines for failing to wear seatbelts while driving in St. Maarten and for driving with cellular phone in hand are ready and will go into effect as of today, December 11.
The new laws were implemented in August this year, but the fines for committing the offences had not yet been imposed. Stein now says the fine for using a cellular phone without an earpiece while driving is NAf. 150, or NAf. 225 if the matter goes to court and you are found guilty. For every person in a car who is not wearing a seatbelt, Stein says the fine is NAf. 75, or NAf.100 if the matter is taken to court and you are found guilty.
He also said the driver could be held accountable for everyone inside the vehicle who did not wear a seatbelt, as the driver was the party responsible. He said the fine was the same for persons driving with minors without proper child seats.
Standing on the white lines outlining filter lanes is also an offence for which motorists will be fined, Stein said. Stein said the police would be looking at these areas of traffic offences during Operation Trust and would be strictly enforcing the law and issuing fines to violators.
He commended the police and said the action of the Operation Trust was “needed,” as people were not feeling safe, which was a violation of their right to safety. He said though that police couldn’t do it alone and would need the help of the community, especially as it concerned gun control.
He commended Lt. Governor Franklyn Richards for the initiative to introduce an amnesty on guns and said the number of different activities being executed by the judicial chain was a clear sign that “we can indeed take a bite out of crime.”
Stein said the work of the local team and the Kingdom Detective Cooperation Team RST along with the 20 officers from Curaçao was a good effort that he hoped “we can keep up while we await the arrival of Marechaussees to keep up the level of crime fighting.”
He said Operation Trust was a sign that “we are doing the right thing.”
