STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1116

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

RE:   S.B. No. 415

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred S.B. No. 415 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO BICYCLE SIGNALS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to enhance traffic safety, particularly for bicyclists, by allowing bicyclists to signal a right turn by using their right hand and arm extended horizontally from the right side of the bicycle.

The Department of Transportation Services of the City and County of Honolulu and Hawaii Bicycling League testified in support of this measure.

     Under current law, all road users using hand signals, including bicyclists, are required to signal a right turn by extending their left arm outwards and bent upward at the elbow.  While this is necessary for motorists, bicyclists are able to safely use their right arm to signal right turn movements.  Using the extension of the right arm to signal a right turn is a more intuitive and understandable method of providing motor vehicle drivers advanced indication of the intent of a bicyclist to make a right turn and your Committee finds that this will help to make bicycling safer.

     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 S.B. No. 415 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,

____________________________

HENRY J.C. AQUINO, Chair