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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.R. NO. |
129 |
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TWENTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2005 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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Requesting the establishment of a statewide interagency task force to perform a study on MOTORCYCLE safety issues, and to clarify the role of the Department of Transportation in regulating safety.
WHEREAS, in the State of Hawai`i motorcycles comprised 2 percent of all passenger vehicles and accounted for 2 percent of all licensed operators, yet constituted 15.6 percent of all traffic fatalities in 1995 according to a study by the Department of Transportation; and
WHEREAS, there are 4 million motorcycles registered in the United States or 2 percent of all registered vehicles in the nation, yet 5 percent of all highway fatalities in the nation involve motorcyclists and 80 percent of reported motorcycle crashes result in injury or death according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association; and
WHEREAS, there are many consequences of motorcycle related injuries and fatalities to the State, Cities and Counties, and individuals involved in the form of emotional and physical damage, financial distress, and taxpayer liability; and
WHEREAS, the Hawai`i State motorcycle safety program must be reevaluated and reorganized as to increase its efficiency and promote safety in order to reduce motorcycle fatalities; and
WHEREAS, better coordination and collaboration between the department of transportation and the military would allow the program to be properly updated and thus certified by the Federal Government for meeting federal standards; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, that the House of Representatives requests the Department of Transportation to establish a statewide interagency task force to develop an implementation plan for the reevaluation and reorganization of the Hawai`i State Motorcycle Safety Program to reduce motorcycle related injuries and fatalities; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the interagency task force should include representatives from the Department of Transportation, each of the respective City and County Licensing Divisions, insurance carriers, Street Bikers United, and from the motorcycle industry; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force appoint a chair from among its members to coordinate the meetings and seek assistance from agency and program staff, as necessary and appropriate; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force:
(1) Identify problems caused by the lack of
coordination between the different programs and agencies;
(2) Identify duplication of program services, gaps in
services, administrative rules that need updating, and members of the population not being served;
(3) Develop findings and recommendations for
coordination of services and programs offered
between agencies;
(4) Develop an interagency agreement to implement the
four-year plan that will ensure cooperation and
collaboration among department and program staff; and
(5) Perform a study on the issues regarding motorcycle
safety in Hawai`i, safety program rebates for motorcyclists, and liability issues for the State, Cities and Counties, and motorcycle drivers;
and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the task force is requested to submit a report of its findings and recommendations and its four-year plan to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2006; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of the Department of Transportation, the Cities and Counties Licensing Divisions, Insurance Carriers, the National Association of State Motorcycle Safety Administrators, and the National Highway Traffic Association.
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OFFERED BY: |
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Report Title:
Motorcycle safety; task force