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 S.B. No. 80 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to change motor vehicle carrier marking requirements to conform state statutory standards to federal standards.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Hawaii Transportation Association (HTA) testified in support of this bill.

DOT also respectfully requested that this Committee consider amending this measure by including language from a House bill relating to pedestrian safety that was passed by your Committee on Transportation earlier during the session. HTA supported the intent of adding this language.

Your Committee understands that regulations established pursuant to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act are widely considered to be the uniform standard throughout the United States and that this bill would make state law consistent with new federal regulations. However, your Committee notes that H.B. No. 81, which is a companion measure to this bill is currently being discussed in the Senate. Your Committee further notes that pedestrian safety is of paramount importance to the residents of Hawaii. Furthermore, your Committee is concerned over the rising number of injuries and fatalities of pedestrians crossing the street and concurs with DOT that a pedestrian safety bill should be moved forward.

Between 1999 and 2002, there were a total of 117 pedestrian fatalities statewide. In fact, according to testimony presented by DOT, since the beginning of the Regular Session of 2005, there have already been eight pedestrian fatalities. Your Committee finds these statistics to be unacceptable.

Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by deleting its substance and replacing it with the substance of H.B. No. 737. As amended, this bill promotes traffic and pedestrian safety by requiring operators of vehicles to stop for a pedestrian:

Technical, nonsubstantive amendments were also made for clarity, consistency, and style.

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 S.B. No. 80, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 80, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.