The Move Over Law
Last revised: January 25, 2013
HRS 291C-27 Emergency vehicle stopped for emergencies; duty of approaching vehicle
A driver of a vehicle that is approaching an emergency vehicle (police, fire, ambulance, ocean safety vehicle, freeway service patrol, or a tow truck) that is stopped with flashing emergency lights shall:
(1) Slow down to a reasonable speed and
(2) Make a lane change into the adjacent lane if necessary and if it is safe to do so, or if possible, to two lanes over which leaves one lane between the driver and the emergency vehicle.
Child Passenger Restraints and Seatbelts
291-11.5 Child passenger restraints.
Child Booster Seat Guidelines
As of January 1, 2007, children ages 4 through 7 years old are required to ride in a child safety seat or booster seat when traveling in a motor vehicle. The only exemptions are if the child is over 4 feet, 9 inches tall, or if the vehicle has lap-only seat belts in the rear seats and the child weighs more than 40 lbs.
A child under 4′ 9″ is generally too small for an adult seat belt. The adult seat belt rides up over a child’s stomach and the shoulder belt cuts across the neck, potentially causing critical or even fatal injuries during a crash.
A Hawaii State tax credit of $25 per year applies to the purchase of a booster or child safety seat. The driver will be held responsible for compliance with the law. Violators of Hawaii’s Child Passenger Restraint Law are required to attend a 4-hour class and may be assessed a fine of between $100 to $500, depending upon the number of offenses.
Each year, more than 700 children between the ages of 4 and 7 years old are involved in major car crashes in Hawaii. Statistics show that children restrained by seat belts are at least 50 percent more at risk for injury than children placed in a child safety seat or booster seat.
External Resource
Operating a Vehicle Under the Influence of an Intoxicant (OVUII)
In 2019, The Honolulu Police Department apprehended 3,667 drivers for OVUII. Safe driving requires the ability to concentrate, make good judgments and quickly react to traffic situations. Any amount of alcohol or drugs in your bloodstream can impact your driving ability. The effects of intoxicants vary greatly, putting you at risk of causing a collision and hurting yourself or others. Impaired driving is a serious issue that can easily be avoided… so please do your part to help keep our roadways safe! For additional information, please click on the links below.
291E-61 (OVUII) Operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant
Moped Laws
91C-194(a): Driver’s License Required
Click here for full the description of law.
291C-194(b): Exhibiting moped license/permit on demand
Click here for full the description of law.
291C-195(a): No person under age 15 shall operate moped
Click here for full the description of law.
291C-195(c): No passenger permitted on moped
Click here for full the description of law.
291C-196(c): Moped prohibited on sidewalks/pedestrian areas
Click here for full the description of law.
291C-197(a): Moped to use bicycle lanes & paths where provided
Click here for full the description of law.
291C-199: Moped operator clinging to vehicle
291-11.6 Mandatory use of seat belts.
All occupants must be restrained (EFFECTIVE 5/20/2013).
Click It or Ticket is an annual nationwide enforcement campaign to crack down on seat belt nonuse and to reduce highway fatalities. The program started in North Carolina in 1993. By 2004 the program the program reached all 50 states and the US Territories.
Seat belts save lives, so fasten yours and make sure your passengers do too!
Speed Kills
On average, excessive speed is a contributing factor in more than half of Oahu’s traffic fatalities every year. Please obey posted speed limits and drive safely!
Trying to save a couple minutes of drive time can cost you a lifetime of regrets!
| Speed Related Penalties | |
| Speeding 1-10 miles over | $62 + $5/mile |
| Speeding 11-29 miles over | $122 + $5/mile |
| Basic Speed Rule | $157 |
| Exhibition of Speed | Court |
| Excessive Speeding 30+ miles over posted speed |
Court |
| Excessive Speed 81 MPH | Court |
| Racing | Court |
| Reckless Driving | Court |
| Equipment Related | |
| Blue Lights Prohibited | Court |
| Illegal Tint | $287/Window |
| Reconstruction Permit | $70 |
| Criminal Cases | |
| Negligent Injury | Up to 5 years in jail |
| Negligent Homicide | Up to 10 years in jail |
Disabled Parking Enforcement Program
The Disabled Parking Enforcement Program comprises of volunteers from around the island under the direct supervision of a sergeant.
Volunteer Special Enforcement Officers assist the Honolulu Police Department with enforcement of disabled parking laws.
Volunteers patrol near their home, get paid mileage and work a flexible schedule. HPD provides FREE uniforms and equipment. We just ask for a minimum of 20 hours per month or 5 hours a week.
Requirements for Volunteers
Interested in becoming a volunteer? You must:
- Be a United States citizen
- Be resident of the city and county of Honolulu
- Be least 21 years of age
- Be a high school graduate or hold an equivalent GED certificate
- Possess a valid State of Hawaii driver’s license
- Pass a criminal history and background investigation
- Complete an oral interview
- Meet the qualifications for a special police commission
Contact Information
If you are interested in volunteering or want more information, call HPD’s Disabled Parking Enforcement Program Office at 723-3412.
Mobile Electronic Device
Last revised: October 16, 2017
HRS 291C-137: Mobile electronic devices
(a) No person shall operate a motor vehicle while using a mobile electronic device.
(b) The use of a mobile electronic device for the sole purpose of making a “911” emergency communication shall be an affirmative defense to this law.
(c) No person under eighteen years of age shall operate a motor vehicle while utilizing a hands-free mobile electronic device, except for the sole purpose of making a “911” emergency communication.
ROH 15-24.23: Mobile electronic devices – Pedestrian
(a) No person shall operate a vehicle while using a mobile electronic device.
(b) No person shall cross a street or highway while viewing a mobile electronic device. (Effective on Oct 25, 2017)
(c) The use of a mobile electronic device for the sole purpose of making a “911” emergency communications shall be an affirmative defense to any citation for violation of this section.
In 2018, in the United States there were 51,490 drivers involved in 33,654 fatal crashes, in which 36,560 people lost their lives. Seventeen percent of the drivers involved were speeding at the time of the crashes, and 26 percent of those killed were in crashes each involving at least one speeding driver. From 2009 to 2018, speeding-related fatalities declined by 12 percent, from 10,664 in 2009 to 9,378 in 2018.
Of the 51,490 drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2018, there were an estimated 10,011 (19%) who were alcohol-impaired.
There were 2,628 fatal crashes that occurred on U.S. roadways in 2018 that involved distraction (8% of all fatal crashes). These crashes involved 2,688 distracted drivers, since some crashes involved more than one distracted driver. Distraction was reported for 5 percent (2,688 of 51,490) of the drivers involved in fatal crashes. In these distraction-affected crashes, 2,841 fatalities (8% of overall fatalities) occurred.
Motor vehicle collisions impact lives daily. Please do your part and drive akamai… Show some aloha, focus on your commute, obey all traffic laws, follow the rules of the road, use your safety equipment, and drive sober. If everyone does their part, we can all arrive alive!
For further information on the statistics provided, click on NHTSA logo below
