STAND. COM. REP. NO. 206________

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 1999

                                 RE: H.B. No. 1728
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B.
No. 1728 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE REVERSE WARNING
     SYSTEM,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill, as received by your Committee, is
to reduce noise pollution caused by beeping sounds when trucks
are being reversed.

     Your Committee finds that the law requires that certain
large vehicles be equipped with audible warning systems to alert
persons in the vicinity of the vehicle that the truck is
reversing or about to reverse.  Your Committee further finds that
these beeping sounds, which usually sound automatically when
trucks are reversing, are especially irritating at night when
many people are sleeping, and near health facilities and hotels.
Your Committee further finds that bright flashing lights could be
used instead or in conjunction with the audible warning for the
protection of persons in the vicinity of reversing vehicles.

     This bill proposes that, as of January 1, 2001, all vehicles
with reverse audible warning systems shall be equipped to permit
the audible reverse warning systems to be turned off manually,
and that bright flashing lights shall be installed in the rear of
vehicles to be used whenever the vehicles are reversing.


 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 206________
                                 Page 2

 
     Testimonies in support of this bill were received from the
Ala Moana Residents Advisory Council, a commercial truck center,
a contractors equipment corporation, and ten residents living in
apartments.  The Hawaii Transportation Association did not take a
position on the bill, but pointed out that flashing lights are
not widely recognized as a reverse warning system, but are
usually used by emergency vehicles when proceeding through heavy
traffic.

     Your Committee has amended this bill by amending the
effective date to be January 1, 2000, rather than January 1,
2001, and further amended the bill by changing the phrase "shall
be equipped" on page 4, line 6, to "may be equipped."  Your
Committee has also made a nonsubstantive amendment for purposes
of style, clarity and consistency. 

  
     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Transportation that is attached to this report, your
Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No.
1728, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second
Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1728, H.D. 1, and
be referred to the Committee on Energy and Environmental
Protection.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Transportation,



                                   ______________________________
                                   KENNETH T. HIRAKI, Chair