STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3235

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2508

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 2508, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE STATEWIDE TRAFFIC CODE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to replace the term "accident" with the term "collision" for purposes of certain provisions of the statewide traffic code.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation, Department of the Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu, Honolulu Police Department, Hawaii Bicycling League, and one individual.

Your Committee finds that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration encourages the terms "collision" or "crash" be used in place of the term "accident", since an accident is an unplanned event resulting in unintended consequences and motor vehicle collisions involve planned and intended events, which could theoretically impact an interpretation of the driver's state of mind in criminal cases. This measure replaces the term "accident" with the term "collision" in certain provisions of the State Traffic Code.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2508, S.D. 1, and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

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KARL RHOADS, Chair