Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2005

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 734 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public by prohibiting:

The Department of Transportation, Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu, and Honolulu Police Department testified in support of this measure.

Mobile infrared transmitters allow emergency vehicles to change official traffic-control signals from red to green as they approach an intersection. This "red light pre-emption" allows emergency vehicles to decrease their response times when responding to emergencies. Unfortunately, these devices can be legally purchased and used by unscrupulous individuals to avoid red traffic signals. This was never the intended use of these devices. Your Committee finds that use of these devices by other than emergency vehicle driver also places other motorists in danger as they may unexpectedly encounter a rapid change in a traffic signal that can cause serious, even deadly collisions at intersections.

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. 734 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.