HONOLULU (KHON2) — After a string of crashes, some deadly, some are revisiting the idea of bringing red light cameras island wide.
Video taken yesterday in Hilo shows cars stopping briefly before running the red light.
Daniel Alexander, Hawaii Bicycling League co-executive director, said he’s seen this far too often, caused by inattention or impatience.
“We deserve to be abe to go outside and regardless of whether we’re walking, riding our bicycle, driving to our destination, to arrive to our destination, to our family safely,” said Alexander.
According to the Department of Transportation, between 2014 and 2018, police have issued 17,021 red light violations.
“We hear from people all the time that they want to feel safe whether they’re walking, bicycling or driving on our roadways, and what needs to happen for them to be safe is people following the rules,” said Alexander.
One of the proposals brought up in the legislature to increase stop light safety is a red light camera that would take pictures of your car’s license plate if you run a red light and issue you a citation.
While measures to start implementing the cameras state-wide were shot down, a bill to form a committee to study how it would work passed.
“There’s a lot of questions about how you would implement who’s going to review the tickets. Is it the police department [or] the transportation department? Who’s role is what? How or what type of citation it is,” said Alexander.
Some opponents have also previously cited privacy as a major concern.
The committee will have to report findings, recommendations and proposed legislation before next year’s session, and Alexander, who has spoken to lawmakers before, believes they will likely take the next step.
“WIthout that further action, we cant see on the ground changes,” said Alexander.
Since lawmakers still would have to make a bill next legislative session to enact something like a red light camera, Alexander said the earliest that it could be fully implemented is 2021.
