Victims of Fatal Crashes Remembered; Prevention Plan Unveiled

An estimated two people are killed in traffic crashes every week in Hawai‘i.

This alarming statistic has prompted over 100 government and communities members to develop and implement a plan to address the issue.

The Hawai‘i Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) is described as a comprehensive five-year strategy that focuses efforts and resources on issues such as impaired driving, speeding, pedestrian safety and occupant protection.

Key members in the plan, including the Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, the four county police departments, the Department of Health, and other stakeholders, met at the State Capitol on Tuesday, May 12, to remember victims of fatal traffic crashes as well as unveil the SHSP as a solution.

“We have all heard stories of people dying because they chose not to wear their seat belts, or people who were killed by drivers who were intoxicated, speeding or distracted,” Governor David Ige said.  “A lot of these victims were just in the wrong place at the wrong time and paid the ultimate price for someone else’s mistake.”

A total of 535 flags were placed in the Capitol lawn, each representing a life lost in a traffic accident between 2010 and 2014.

Governor Ige said that in addition to the pain felt by victims’ family and friends, the economic cost of traffic crashes in Hawai‘i amounts to $1.8 million a day.

“Because of all of these impacts on the people of Hawai`i, we fully support the SHSP and its goal of reducing yearly fatalities from 100 to 80 or fewer by 2018,” Ige added.

The event also marked the launch of the annual HDOT and county police department campaign, “Click It or Ticket,” which began May 11 and runs through May 25.

A copy of the Hawai‘i SHSP is available for download.