STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1376

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.C.R. No. 98

       S.D. 1

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Transportation and International Affairs, to which was referred S.C.R. No. 98 entitled:

"SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO CONDUCT A PERFORMANCE AUDIT OF THE TRAFFIC SAFETY FUNCTION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Auditor to conduct a performance audit of the traffic safety function of the Department of Transportation (DOT) to determine how traffic safety information is collected and used, and to make recommendations on improving the traffic safety functions of the DOT.

     No testimony was received by your Committee.

     It is the obligation of the State to provide for highway and pedestrian safety to the greatest possible extent for the health and well-being of all the State's residents and visitors.  Section 26-19, Hawaii Revised Statutes, provides that the DOT has the responsibility to plan, develop, promote, and coordinate various transportation management programs, which includes traffic safety.  The DOT should be collecting traffic safety information, including but not limited to, traffic accident location, frequency, and severity; pedestrian accident frequency and location; speed limit violations; and traffic signal light timing.

     The State's worsening transportation problems are imposing substantial costs on the State's residents and businesses.  The frequency and severity of traffic accidents and pedestrian accidents cause public concern over whether the State can do more to prevent accidents.  As such, your Committee believes this audit is necessary.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by adding a reference to the DOT's current handling of access to traffic accident information.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation and International Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 98, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, in the form attached hereto as S.C.R. No. 98, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation and International Affairs,

____________________________

J. KALANI ENGLISH, Chair