Transportation

SB 2429 establishes a framework requiring smart speed assistance systems for habitual speeders, directly affecting drivers with repeated speeding violations. It sets clear liability rules for manufacturers, distributors, or retailers of aftermarket speed assistance systems related to their design, manufacture, or repair. The bill also mandates a report to the Legislature on the program's implementation and effectiveness. This legislation focuses on concrete safety technology deployment and accountability, without speculative outcomes.

SB 2253 updates the "negligent injury in the first degree" offense to explicitly include injuries caused by drivers operating vehicles while intoxicated. This change directly affects drivers who cause injury to others while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The bill modifies the legal definition so that such incidents are prosecuted under this specific charge, ensuring they are treated as deliberate negligence under existing law. It does not change penalty levels but clarifies that intoxicated driving causing injury falls within this offense.

PART I: Requires motor vehicles to have front number plate mounting brackets or devices and for sellers, licensed dealers, or owners to securely affix number plates to the vehicles. PART II: Amends the Traffic Code relating to street racing. PART III: Expands the Automated Speed Enforcement Systems Program to high-risk locations of state or county highways as determined by the Department of Transportation, under certain conditions. Appropriates moneys. PART IV: Authorizes the installation of a school bus infraction detection system on the exterior of a school bus. Establishes strict liability and the process for issuing summons or citations for drivers shown by the system to be in violation of certain school bus laws. Clarifies the liability of drivers near a school bus that is actively monitored by a school bus infraction detection system. Appropriates moneys. PART V: Specifies that the Department of Transportation's Motor Vehicle Safety Office shall administer the Photo Red Light Imaging Detector Systems Program Special Fund and Automated Speed Enforcement Systems Program Special Fund. PART VI: Clarifies language relating to photo red light enforcement, automated speed enforcement, and penalty provisions. PART VII: Requires the Director of Transportation to adopt rules allowing for mobile vehicle safety inspections of passenger cars. Effective 7/1/3000; provided that part IV, except the rule-making directive and appropriation, effective 7/1/2028. (SD2)

This bill requests the Hawaii Department of Transportation to fix and update its administrative rules for the Driver Education Program based on recommendations from a state auditor's report. The auditor found that the department has not certified any driver education curricula for over twenty years and lacks proper oversight and clear policies for instructor certification. As a result, the bill asks the department to establish curriculum task forces, certify required materials, and create consistent procedures for instructor training and renewal. The department must also submit a report on its progress and updated rules to the legislature by the start of the 2027 session.

This bill urges the Hawaii Department of Transportation to modify the dimensions of rumble strips on a specific section of Kamehameha V Highway on Molokai, east of mile marker 9.5. The resolution states that the current rumble strips are too aggressive and cause drivers to swerve or straddle lane lines to avoid the intense vibration, which creates new safety risks by pushing vehicles into narrow shoulder areas used by cyclists and pedestrians. The bill recommends changing the strip design to a shallower sinusoidal or mumble profile that provides necessary lane-departure warnings without encouraging avoidance maneuvers. This is a non-binding recommendation aimed at improving road safety while reducing noise pollution for local residents.

This bill is a concurrent resolution that formally requests the Hawaii Department of Transportation and Department of Law Enforcement to work together to create a state highway police force. It aims to address rising traffic fatalities by supplementing county police efforts with a specialized state-level enforcement unit focused on highway safety. The resolution highlights the potential benefits of combining transportation infrastructure expertise with law enforcement authority to improve traffic management and response to incidents. It does not authorize funding or mandate the creation of the force, but rather serves as a formal recommendation to the relevant state agencies.

This bill urges the Hawaii Department of Transportation to consider adopting a demerit points-based driver's licensing system. It directly affects drivers by proposing a method where points are added to a license for traffic violations, similar to systems used in approximately forty states. The resolution cites high traffic fatality rates and the department's acknowledgment that most crashes stem from human behavior as reasons for this recommendation. It does not mandate the change but requests the department to evaluate implementing this system to improve road safety.

This bill requests the Department of Transportation and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to form a working group that will coordinate infrastructure planning for Hawaiian home land developments. The working group will include leaders from both departments, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, and infrastructure experts to review overlapping projects and identify ways to reduce costs through synchronized planning. Specifically, the group will map out planned improvements over a five-year period, evaluate opportunities to combine construction efforts like road and drainage work, and assess potential cost savings from joint execution. The group is tasked with developing a standardized coordination process, identifying legal or procedural barriers to cooperation, and recommending any necessary changes to make coordinated planning permanent. The working group must submit its findings and recommendations to the Legislature by the end of 2026 and will dissolve on June 30, 2027.

This bill requests the Department of Transportation to work with utility companies to create a statewide plan for addressing aging or abandoned utility poles and lines along Farrington Highway and other high-risk road corridors. The key provisions ask the department to organize assessments of infrastructure, develop repair or removal schedules, prioritize areas with high traffic or wildfire risks, and clarify who is responsible for funding and maintenance. The bill also directs the department to review existing laws regarding utility maintenance obligations and submit a detailed report to the Legislature by early 2027 outlining findings and recommendations.

This bill urges state and city transportation departments to collaborate with local community groups to develop and improve the coastal trail system on Oahu's North Shore. The resolution emphasizes the need for safe, non-vehicular pathways to address current unsafe road conditions and encourage walking and biking in the area. It calls for community involvement in all stages of trail planning, design, construction, and maintenance to ensure the trails meet local needs. The measure also references existing efforts like the Complete Streets Ordinance and Vision Zero Action Plan as context for improving transportation safety and accessibility.