Hawaii Department of Health’s Traffic Safety Recommendations

When the Hawaii State Department of Health drafted the Hawaii Injury Prevention Plan for 2012–2017, it targeted several types of traffic injuries and made a number of traffic safety recommendations. Those recommendations included the following:

• Motorcycle and moped riders — HIPP cites a study that asserts properly worn helmets reduce the risk of death by 42 percent and the risk of a head injury by 69 percent. When Hawaii had a helmet law under federal mandate, from 1968 to 1977, motorcycle fatalities in the state decreased by 57 percent, a statistic used by HIPP to push the legislature to enact a universal helmet law.
• Impaired drivers — Hawaii ranks above the national average for accidents due to impaired driving. HIPP recommends “screening and brief intervention practices that help to identify a real or potential alcohol problem and motivate individuals to do something about it.” The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration calls screening and brief intervention “a best practice strategy for reducing and preventing impaired driving.”
• Occupant protection — HIPP observes that 75 percent of unrestrained passengers involved in fatal crashes were unrestrained in the back seat. HIPP recommends passage of a universal seatbelt law that would require all passengers to buckle up.
• Bicycle and pedestrian injuries — Observing that Hawaii has the highest rate of pedestrian fatalities among older adults, HIPP recommends further implantation of “complete streets” policies throughout the islands. To the extent that the current street and intersection design makes it difficult for users other than motor vehicles to travel safely, promoting the complete streets agenda throughout every county would increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
• Increase visibility of enforcement efforts — Visible enforcement of traffic safety laws acts as a deterrent to unsafe practices that increase the risk of injury.

Cronin, Fried, Sekiya, Kekina & Fairbanks, Attorneys at Law supports common-sense measures to increase traffic safety. But, having represented many clients with catastrophic injuries, we urge Hawaiians not to wait for the state to enact legislation to buckle up, wear a helmet or share the road with other users.

If you’ve been hurt in an accident due to someone’s negligence, we can help. To schedule a free consultation, call 808.524.1433 or contact our Honolulu office online.

By Cronin Fried | Published September 16, 2016 | Posted in Car Accidents | Tagged Hawaii Dept of Health, HIPP, traffic safety in Hawaii | Comments Off on Hawaii Department of Health’s Traffic Safety Recommendations