HPD starting island wide pedestrian safety program

[Miulang]

First lesson to pedestrians: "Don't be grooving to the music on your iPod when you're trying to cross Kalakaua and you're not in a crosswalk because you could become an example of Darwin's theory." And, "just because pedestrians are supposed to have the right of way, you still need to stop at the curb and look both ways before crossing a street..."

Miulang

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: HPD starting island wide pedestrian safety program

Second lesson to pedestrians: Honolulu has traffic!! This isn't some rural town where chickens and little kids and old women can wander across the dirt roads without looking.

[alohabear]

Re: HPD starting island wide pedestrian safety program

Does anyone think the new crosswalk law( the one involving the cars in both direction stopping and waiting untill the way is completly clear before moving)will be enforced or obeyed? Since it was announced in May ...I 've never seen anyone attempt to obey this law .

[Menehune Man]

Re: HPD starting island wide pedestrian safety program

Does anyone think the new crosswalk law( the one involving the cars in both direction stopping and waiting untill the way is completly clear before moving)will be enforced or obeyed? Since it was announced in May ...I 've never seen anyone attempt to obey this law .

I haven't yet either! Many times the pedestrian has gotten eye contact so expected the vehicle to stop and it kept on going. I've seen this a few times on King St. already. Please be careful out there.

[Fondoo2]

Re: HPD starting island wide pedestrian safety program

Kinda off topic but anyone been to New York City? It's insane! Nobody gives right of way even pedestrians will march in front of cars forcing them to slam on there brakes but other wise they would never be allowed to cross.

[adrian]

Re: HPD starting island wide pedestrian safety program

What happened to common sense? Just use a crosswalk and before you step onto the street, look both ways (even though if you're crossing a one direction lane) and if you see a car approaching, don't step onto the street until they slow down.

But the worst place to do it, is in Kapolei, between the police station and the theatres (as I found out). There's no stop lights and while I was there, the average time I had to wait until someone stopped to let me cross was about 5 minutes, with semi trucks, cars and other vehicles speeding (and a few ricers racing)

[tiptoetulip]

Re: HPD starting island wide pedestrian safety program

Miulang, I must say that when my husband and I visited Seattle this past summer, we were incredibly impressed with the drivers there. If we were even NEAR a crosswalk, drivers would stop. This happened in many parts of Seattle, so we took this to be a very common trait among people there and not some kind of freak occurrence. Do you have an explanation?

After that kind of experience, it's depressing to deal with Hawaii drivers here at home. Overall, I think they are rude, selfish, and irresponsible. If I were a pedestrian, I'd be EXTRA careful crossing the street whether or not there was a law. I also don't know what the deal is with drivers not heeding the FLASHING RED LIGHTS AND STOP SIGN of school buses. What gives, people?!?

[Pomai]

Re: HPD starting island wide pedestrian safety program

Does anyone think the new crosswalk law( the one involving the cars in both direction stopping and waiting untill the way is completly clear before moving)will be enforced or obeyed? Since it was announced in May ...I 've never seen anyone attempt to obey this law .

If you go back and read the new law, it clearly states that the driver has to stop only when the pedestrian is on the SAME HALF OF THE ROADWAY. Once the pedestrian reaches your half, you must STOP and wait until they completely clear the curb. The old law was a little "looser" in that you only had to YIELD, but not stop.

Example A: You're on Kapiolani and want to turn right on Ward. A pedestrian is crossing from the opposite side approaching where you want to turn. As long as that pedestrian is on the opposite half of the road, you may proceed. Once the pedestrian reached your side, then you must STOP and wait until they completely clear the curb.

Example B: Same scenario as A, except this time there are pedestrians who will be crossing from BOTH sides. In this case you must STOP until the crosswalk is completely clear, as there will be pedestrians on YOUR HALF of the roadway, either approaching or leaving.

Example C: You're on Piikoi. It's 5 lanes heading one way and you're in the MIDDLE lane. In this case you would have to STOP and wait until the pedestrian is off the road. The drivers in the other four lanes would only have to stop when the pedestrian was on their half of the road.

In a nutshell, whether the road you're on is one-way or two-way, regardless of lane count, think of it as a 50% divide. As long as there's a pedestrian in a crosswalk on your half of that divide, stop.

DRIVERS who violate this new law will be fined $97. PEDESTRIANS who jaywalk will be fined $70.

But heads up!... if you ever drive in Waikiki, KNOW this law, because it's being enforced BIG TIME there. HPD has extra officers on bikes monitoring intersections all over Waikiki. My recommendation: when in doubt, STOP.


So when are they going to enact a law that bans handheld celphone use on the road for BOTH drivers AND pedestrians? That's what I wanna' know!

[jdub]

Re: HPD starting island wide pedestrian safety program

Does anyone think the new crosswalk law( the one involving the cars in both direction stopping and waiting untill the way is completly clear before moving)will be enforced or obeyed? Since it was announced in May ...I 've never seen anyone attempt to obey this law .

when leuitenant gov aiona hald a press conference about this new law back in may, one of the local news station got a shot of his driver NOT yielding to a pedestrian in a crosswalk immediately after the press conference...poor aiona had to go back on the air the next day and apologize...

as a career pedestrian, i consider myself quite the urban hoofer...i can get from pacific heights to kakaako in 25 minutes...but now i take extra caution crossing streets, not out of fear of getting smooshed, but out of fear of getting zapped with a $79 ticket for jaywalking...

i'll submit that riding a bike in this town is far more dangerous than walking...

[adrian]

Re: HPD starting island wide pedestrian safety program

HPD should start patrolling in Waipahu, specifically around the Waipahu Transit Center and along Farrington Hwy. While I wait for the bus every Tuesday/Thursday morning around 8am, I see 6 people jaywalk from one side, onto the median, to the other side.

[Pomai]

Re: HPD starting island wide pedestrian safety program

Has anyone seen/heard PSA's on TV or radio about the new pedestrian law? I haven't. Only "Click it or Ticket".

Driving around the greater town area this past week, it's obvious many DRIVERS are either not aware of, or refuse to obey it. I seen 2 incidents recently where pedestrians (in the right-of-way) almost got clipped.

[kimo55]

Re: HPD starting island wide pedestrian safety program

pick it or flick it...
pedestrian law clampdown...
boy, our keystone kops system sure has their priorities straight eh?!

[kimo55]

Re: HPD starting island wide pedestrian safety program

I seen 2 incidents recently where pedestrians (in the right-of-way) almost got clipped.

ya know, laws and the enforcing or advertising of them are for those that already have the mental wherewithal to obey them.
It is basically wasted effort.
It's like signage that tells you don't steal. don't trespass. Considerate mature people don't need to be reminded. Thoughtless ijits and skofflaws will break the law regardless of reminders, which they are blind to;
"eh; that's for everyone else but me!"
But the efforts must be put in place cuz that's what polititians and our local govmnt do; Go thru the motions, to give the public has an artificial sense of safety and security.

[Kilinahe]

Re: HPD starting island wide pedestrian safety program

I have personally, in my entire existence, never seen so many stupid, ill-advised and suicidal decisions as I have watching pedestrians the last few weeks. I have seen at least five pedestrians nearly get hit; I have seen women pushing strollers against lights. It's like some (not all) pedestrians are playing chicken with the traffic. Drivers are stupid. I admit. But that's no excuse for people to ignore crosswalks and lights. I've been a pedestrian, too, but I always understood I'd get hit if I didn't obey the rules. Not every pedestrian does.

[1stwahine]

Re: HPD starting island wide pedestrian safety program

I had to do errands today in town. Talk about stupid. They put up a black ribbon barricade to stop pedestrians from walking the sidewalk on Hotel and Bethel. The Contractors are cleaning the pond. The pedestrians have to walk on the street to get to Nuuanu Ave., if they not using their brains to cross the street over from Nuuanu to Hotel. I stopped to watched for five minutes at the Bus Stop and sure enough "four" idiots almost got hit by a BUS! There was no Police Officer directing traffic! Auwe! I wish I had my camera!

How ya doin?

Auntie Lynn