Oahu traffic-related fatalities remain high

Concerns over safety on Hawaii roads are growing in the wake of several pedestrian deaths.

Traffic-related fatalities in Hawaii in roughly the first three months of this year were fewer than at the same time last year. From Jan. 1 to March 29, there were 22 traffic-related deaths, compared with 36 during the same time period in 2022, according to preliminary statistics from the state Department of Transportation.

Last year was a deadly one on Hawaii roads with 117 traffic-related deaths, up from 94 in 2021 and higher than 2020 and 2019.

Although there have been fewer this year, to date, there have been numerous tragic incidents, including the hit-and-run that killed a McKinley High School student on her way to school.

Sara Yara, 16, was fatally struck in February by an unlicensed driver operating a pickup truck while in a crosswalk at Kapiolani Boulevard and Kamakee Street. She had just gotten off a bus and was on her way to school.

DOT, in partnership with the city, swiftly installed two speed humps on Kapiolani Boulevard. A red-light safety camera already planned for the intersection began issuing warnings March 22.

“I think concern is growing in the public,” said state Sen. Chris Lee (D, Kailua- Hawaii Kai). “In 2022 we had a record number of fatalities and serious injuries — 117 fatalities and 572 serious injuries — which can be paralyzing and absolutely life-changing for those that survive. That is up significantly from a decade ago and well before that.”

Lee said that over the past 15 years of representing the area, there have been hundreds of incidents that resulted in deaths or serious injuries — and too many close calls.

“Sara’s family was devastated at that loss, but there were 117 other families just last year who lost somebody in tragic circumstances and it doesn’t have to be that way,” Lee said.

There are solutions, according to Lee, who has introduced several bills this legislative session seeking to improve road safety and design for pedestrians and bicyclists, which he believes is key and has successfully been implemented in other places.

Senate Bill 1506 would appropriate a greater share of funding for bicycle and pedestrian safety. Senate Bill 1535 would help fast-track critical safety fixes, which typically take five to seven years for the state to make.

The first pedestrian fatality of the year was also at a school crosswalk, on Keolu Drive in Kailua.

On the early morning of Jan. 2, Jenifer Van Lent, 71, of Kailua was attempting to cross Keolu Drive when she was struck by a vehicle driven by an 85-year-old man.

Like Yara, she was also within a marked crosswalk at the intersection with Akiohala Street. Van Lent, described in her obituary as a loving wife and grandmother who would light up a room when she entered it, was on her way home from her routine morning walk when she was hit.

Due to concerns, Lee, along with other legislators, recently held a traffic safety meeting for the community at Ka‘elepulu Elementary School in Kailua.

Altogether, three elementary schools along Keolu Drive are concerned about safe routes to their campuses and reports of close calls for parents and students dodging cars exceeding the 25 mph speed limit.

Lee said the road is too wide, and therefore takes longer to cross and results in drivers’ tendency to speed. Discussions are already underway on how to redesign Keolu Drive for greater safety.

A safer bike lane was also planned, but never implemented, for the site of a fatal collision that occurred Jan. 31 at the intersection of Mokapu Boulevard and Kapaa Quarry Road.

Honolulu Police reported a collision between the bicyclist and a Chevy flatbed truck as the latter was making a right turn onto Kapaa Quarry Road.

Robert Maldonado, 50, was an accomplished cyclist, according to the Hawaii Bicycling League.

For the first three months of this year, Oahu had the greatest share of traffic- related deaths, with 15, just one less than the same time in 2022, while neighbor isles had much fewer.

The toll for Oahu includes seven motor vehicle occupants, three pedestrians, four motorcycle and scooter operators, and one bicyclist.

Hawaii County counted only five traffic-related deaths, while Maui and Kauai counties tallied one each.

At a rally held In March at the state Capitol, the family of loved ones lost to traffic fatalities, including Yara’s mother, along with health and safety advocates, called for more measures to keep Hawaii streets safe.

CJ Johnson, lead organizer of the Hawaii Safe Routes Coalition, said that one-third of traffic fatalities are people walking, rolling or bicycling — a share much higher than the national average.

Also, older adults, unhoused people and those in low-income communities are more vulnerable.

For there to be change, there has to be commitment to making safety the No. 1 priority, he said, and creating safer environments for walking and biking.

DANGEROUS DRIVING

Traffic-related deaths in Hawaii, Jan. 1 to March 29:

>> State (22 total): 10 motor vehicle occupants, 5 pedestrians, 5 motorcycle and scooter operators, 1 bicyclist, 1 ATV operator

>> City and County of Honolulu (15 total): 7 motor vehicle occupants, 3 pedestrians, 4 motorcycle and scooter operators, 1 bicyclist

>> Hawaii County (5 total): 3 motor vehicle occupants, 1 pedestrian, 1 ATV operator

>> Maui County (1 total): 1 scooter operator

>> Kauai County (1 total): 1 pedestrian

Source: State Department of Transportation