STAND. COM. REP. NO. 348-04

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: H.B. No. 2290

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred H.B. No. 2290 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DRIVER LICENSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this bill is to increase traffic safety. Among other things, this bill:

(1) Establishes a three-stage graduated driver licensing system for persons under the age of eighteen;

(2) Requires drivers under the age of eighteen to be accompanied by a licensed parent or guardian when driving between the hours of 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., except under specific circumstances;

(3) Provides exceptions for working individuals and individuals attending school; and

(4) Requires temporary permit holders to be accompanied by an individual who is at least 21 years of age when driving.

The Department of Health, Honolulu Police Department (HPD), Mothers Against Drunk Driving-Hawaii (MADD-Hawaii), Keiki Injury Prevention Coalition, American Academy of Pediatrics-Hawaii Chapter, and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company testified in support of this measure. The Department of Transportation supported the intent of the measure. The Judiciary commented on this measure.

Research, studies, and statistics have shown that young, novice drivers have an extremely high crash risk with factors such as inexperience and immaturity being major contributors. This is especially true at night. In fact, in Hawaii, 9.7 percent of all reported traffic crashes involved individuals between the ages of 15 and 18 in 2001, and 38 percent of all fatal crashes in 2002 involving drivers between 16 and 17 years of age occurred at night.

Your Committee finds that previous legislation to increase driving restrictions on younger drivers has significantly reduced the proportion of traffic crashes involving teen drivers. Nighttime restrictions on drivers in the younger age group are designed to develop the skills necessary for safe driving under these conditions and should also result in an increase in traffic safety, especially among teenagers.

Although your Committee understands the concerns raised by HPD regarding enforcement concerns, your Committee received assurances from MADD-Hawaii that it would use its resources to research language used in other states to address the concerns raised by HPD and present this language to the Committee on Judiciary for further consideration.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 2290 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

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

 

____________________________

JOSEPH M. SOUKI, Chair