Honolulu, Hawaii Speed Traps

Motor patrol officers wait at all hours in dark shade under low-hanging trees at right/ocean side of 3-lane Kalanianaole Highway, monitoring East/Koko Head bound traffic in 35 mph zone. The Highway curves to the left just before this speedtrap, so drivers need to slow before the signaled intersection at Analii Street. As usual, pack-leading drivers or exposed lone drivers are most frequently cited. It’s especially embarrassing for violators stopped on this heavily used corridor, with hundreds of gawkers on their way to the upscale suburbs further eastward.

It’s sometimes difficult to see the speed trap in the shade and at night, behind vehicles parked along the right/East side of Lunalilo Home Road, north/mauka bound. The speed limit is only 30 mph, with a school zone 15 mph limit at Kaiser High School, about 100 yards beyond the speed trap. There’s no curve in the road here, but the night lighting is poor. It’s a situation of a well-concealed trap on what appears to be a nice open roadway. Violators who are stopped have high chances of being seen by family members, friends and neighbors in Hawaii Kai, an upscale East Oahu neighborhood. The embarassment may be more painful than the cost of the citation.

Crosswalk Enforcement Trap

Drivers Beware- In efforts to reduce the amount of pedestrian fatalities (especially in recent months) the police are now setting up pedestrian/crosswalk enforcement traps all around Oahu.

In my case, they had a very unnaturally behaving pedestrian standing at a marked crosswalk that had no traffic light. The pedestrian had one foot off the curb and one foot on the sidewalk, but was simply standing there. She made NO FORWARD MOVEMENT as if she was intending to cross the street anytime soon. She looked as if she was simply standing there waiting for an opportune moment to cross.

As a pedestrian, I have stood on the curb before waiting for the cars to clear allowing me a safe time to cross the street. I don’t expect cars to come to a screeching halt just because I am simply standing there! If I’m already in the cross walk or I am entering the crosswalk (indicates movement), then of course they should stop. In this case, the pedestrian made no movement and she was just standing there.

I was given a ticket because she had one foot off the curb!

As speed limit becomes 35 mph the force is out to get you. The hours are during non-rush hour times of the day. Set up is purely to catch motorists who are going back and forth to Kailua during safe driving hours. Are the police trying to build up the coffers of the City and County of Honolulu?

7/2008

Traveling Makai (south) on University Ave., right after the H1 underpass, Police waits under the trees located at the Church of the Crossroads. Although it is comfortable going 35 you need to brake going down hill because the Speed Limit is 25. It’s difficult to see the man from the top of the hill under the freeway.

7/2008