Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Transportation and Public Safety and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2344, S.D. 1, entitled:

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill, as received by your Committees, is to prevent the State and counties from prohibiting the transfer of military munitions through interstate vehicular tunnels if the transfer adheres to specific safety standards.

Although your Committees understand the need of the military to be able to transfer munitions between the Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe, and the Naval Magazine at Pearl Harbor, greater safety issues face Hawaii motorists from law breakers who speed on Hawaii's highways and run red lights on Hawaii's roadways.

Accordingly, to facilitate further review of this important issue, a proposed house draft that deleted the contents of S.B. No. 2344, S.D. 1, and inserted language authorizing the counties to establish photo red light and photo speed imaging detector system programs was circulated prior to the public hearing and was heard for purposes of receiving testimony and public comment.

The proposed new contents of Senate Bill No. 2344 would:

The Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu, Department of Transportation Services of the City and County of Honolulu, and the Councilmember from the Honolulu Council District IX testified in support of the intent of this bill. A concerned individual opposed this measure.

Your Committees find that the prevalence of drivers violating Hawaii's speed and traffic signal laws, especially on the Island of Oahu, has become intolerable. These violations endanger the lives of motorists and pedestrians and compound the already hazardous conditions on Hawaii's roads and highways. Racing and speeding contribute to the frequency and severity of motor vehicle crashes since there is less time to react and less time to stop. Too many tragedies on Hawaii's roadways, many of them recent ones, have been attributed to speed and racing. This measure will help curb such extreme activities in Hawaii and protect the health, safety, and welfare of the people of this State.

After careful consideration, your Committees have amended this measure by:

(1) Inserting the provisions of the proposed house draft;

Although this measure is in the best interest of the health and safety of the public, your Committees are cognizant of the fact that the motoring public may need time to adjust their driving habits and to acclimate themselves to photo speed imaging detector and photo red light imaging systems initiated by the counties. Therefore, your Committees would respectfully urge the county councils that choose to implement such programs to allow the issuance of warning citations prior to the actual implementation of these programs.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Transportation and Public Safety and Military Affairs that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2344, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2344, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.