If enacted, SB2817 is expected to impact Hawaii's traffic laws significantly by tightening speed-related enforcement. This measure intends to deter speeding through increased penalties associated with violations. The bill is rooted in findings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which indicates that lower speed limits and stricter penalties are effective ways to combat excessive speeding. The legislation potentially aims to make the roads safer for all users by reducing the likelihood of high-speed accidents, which can be particularly severe given the state’s roadway characteristics.
Summary
SB2817 addresses the issue of excessive speeding within the state of Hawaii, aiming to enhance traffic safety by amending the statutory standard for what qualifies as excessive speeding. Recognizing that speeding significantly contributes to traffic accidents, injuries, and fatalities in Hawaii due to its unique topography and road conditions, the bill proposes to reduce the threshold for excessive speeding violations. The existing law allows for penalties when drivers exceed the speed limit by thirty miles per hour or more, but SB2817 lowers this threshold to twenty miles per hour over the posted limit, and also redefines the absolute threshold from eighty miles per hour to seventy miles per hour, regardless of the speed limit posted.
Contention
However, the bill may not be without contention. Supporters argue that the changes are necessary to improve safety and reduce the alarming rates of traffic fatalities linked to speeding, particularly as vehicle technology evolves and power-to-weight ratios increase. On the other hand, opponents could argue that such measures may disproportionately affect those who find themselves speeding unintentionally or that adjustments to speed limits should rather focus on improved road design rather than punitive measures alone.
Requesting The Department Of Transportation And Department Of Law Enforcement To Study The Possibility Of A Highway Patrol And Speed Cameras Along Major Freeways And Highways In Primary Areas Of Speeding.
Requesting The Department Of Law Enforcement And Department Of Transportation To Study The Possibility Of A Highway Patrol And The Installation Of Speed Cameras Along Major Freeways And Highways In Primary Areas Of Speeding, Including The Impact It Would Have On The District Courts.