Q. Today I was heading home from work at approximately 3:15 p.m. Traffic was slow-moving near the Middle Street merge and I noticed two Ace Towing trucks approaching from a distance. As they got closer, they went onto the shoulder of the road and passed everyone. Later I saw the two trucks merge back into traffic and resume at the slower pace of traffic. Is this legal? If it's an emergency and it's allowed, why did they plop themselves back in the middle of traffic after passing?

A. Tow trucks are not considered emergency vehicles, so in general are subject to the same traffic laws as any other vehicles, said Honolulu Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Yu.

Obviously, there are times when tow trucks do have a reason to drive on the shoulder — to get to cars stalled there, for instance. But from your description, it sounds like you think they might have just been trying to bypass slow-moving traffic.

If there wasn't a police officer on the scene guiding the trucks out of traffic, they probably shouldn't have been doing it.

A lot of drivers are confused about tow trucks because they have flashing lights similar to what you might see on a police car, fire engine or ambulance.

The key is the color. Only emergency vehicles with blue or red lights can be exempt from traffic laws if necessary.

Tow trucks' yellow lights are there for safety, since they are often stopping to pick up cars or driving with a vehicle hanging off the end.

Q. It is 12:30 a.m. on Saturday in Kalihi. My neighbor has two tow trucks and a large car-carrying truck, which for the past five minutes beeped as it reversed down the street and now has idled in place for another five minutes waking me up. So now that I am up, I am writing you to help me find out if this situation here in this neighborhood can be reviewed by someone or some agency.

A. It looks like there haven't been any complaints lodged with the Kalihi police, so if it happens again, call 911 and provide the truck's license plate number so police can follow up on your concerns with the registered owner.

There are some pretty specific laws dealing with excessive noise and noise pollution, but the state Department of Health's Environmental Health branch recommends calling police first.

You can find more information on the health department's Noise Radiation and Indoor Air Quality Branch Web site, www.hawaii.gov/health/environmental/noise/about.html.