Letters to the Editor
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TRAFFIC SAFETY
MANY PEDESTRIANS ALSO TO BLAME FOR ACCIDENTS
I agree that there have been too many pedestrian accidents, but raising traffic violation penalties is not the answer.
Why is the governor saying that drivers are to be blamed for all these accidents? I see so many pedestrians jaywalking, crossing between cars, crossing against the walk sign, crossing without even looking (talking on cell phones), walking on the wrong side of the street or walking on the road when there is a sidewalk on the other side.
So, I feel that both driver and pedestrian should be just as responsible.
The bottom line is education.
Also, why make a law that cannot be enforced? There are so many things happening on the road and just not enough policemen.
Kenneth IkenagaPearl City
STATE, CITY CAN DO MORE TO KEEP WALKERS SAFE
The new traffic-violation penalties proposed by the governor in an effort to protect pedestrians will work only if they are enforced by police officers.
However, because police have lots of other laws to enforce, I submit that a more effective protection for pedestrians would be engineering by the city and state departments of transportation to keep vehicles and pedestrians separated.
Our traffic departments can, at minimum cost, engineer the following:
Honolulu
NEW CROSSWALK LAW IS PART OF THE PROBLEM
Since the new crosswalk law went into effect, it seems more and more pedestrians are getting hurt or killed.
Empowering people and giving them the right-of-way against a vehicle traveling in excess of 25 mph is like giving a loaded gun to a child.
Pedestrians now have the illusion that they can stop a car or truck just by stepping into a crosswalk. What they fail to realize is if the driver doesn't see them, no matter what the law says, they are going to get hit or run over. Drivers do not deliberately intend to hurt pedestrians, and creating laws to stop accidents is not going to solve the problem.
Government should not be making new laws every time an elected official gets upset over uncontrollable acts. Accidents are just that — accidents.
Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona's crosswalk law has created the illusion of safety within a crosswalk, and instead of solving the problem, it seems to have made it worse.
Maybe we should take a second look at the law and get rid of it instead of proposing stiffer penalties.
Clifton J.M. UyedaWaipahu
CROSSING TIME IS TOO SHORT ON MEHE'ULA
I cross Mehe'ula Parkway at Kuahelani Street in Miliani during my morning walk at least five days a week.
At Mehe'ula Parkway, the pedestrian crossing light stays on for only eight seconds, which barely allows me to get halfway across at a fairly steady pace. Can you imagine how hard it is for an older (I'm 68) person to get across?
I don't think that it would disrupt traffic that much to increase the time to at least 15 seconds. That might save some pedestrian from getting hit by a vehicle.
The traffic light at Kuahelani and Kipapa Street allows only five seconds to get across.
Robert MandapMililani
IT'S DANGEROUS TO BE A PEDESTRIAN IN HAWAI'I
I grew up in Boston, where the only thing more reckless than the drivers are the pedestrians. Jaywalking is a sport.
But since living on O'ahu and on Maui, I've learned to be a cautious walker. It is dangerous to be a pedestrian in Hawai'i.
There seems to be a number of reasons for this. The mind-numbing traffic congestion makes drivers impatient. The great weather makes it easy to get around on foot. Many traffic lights allow too short a time to cross a street.
Recently, I saw three elderly people get off a bus and jaywalk to cross the street; one was using a walker.
Recently on Beretania a large truck in the lane next to me obscured my view of an elderly couple beginning to cross the street in a crosswalk without a traffic light.
With so many factors contributing to the danger for pedestrians, any solution will require cooperation from pedestrians, drivers and government planners. We can do better!
Nelson SmithHonolulu
