Holidays tend to bring out the worst in drivers. With parties and rushing to get to families, people don’t stop and think sometimes. To combat this, Kaua‘i Police Department officers are setting up roadblocks, speed traps, and they’re checking for
Holidays tend to bring out the worst in drivers. With parties and rushing to get to families, people don’t stop and think sometimes.
To combat this, Kaua‘i Police Department officers are setting up roadblocks, speed traps, and they’re checking for seat-belt usage.
So slow down, put on that seat belt, and don’t drink and drive, said police. The last thing Kaua‘i drivers want is a traffic citation in their stocking.
“The minimum ticket (for speeding) is about $100,” said KPD Traffic Safety Officer James Miller. “I’m sure that you can find something better to do with your money than give $100 to the state.”
And Miller said it’s one of the only ways for KPD officers to try and save lives.
“I don’t enjoy giving people a ticket. You can’t control that. But the public can control their speed,” he said. “If that’s what it takes…but I hate going to the scene of” traffic fatalities.
“I’ve seen the bodies on the road. I don’t need to see any more,” Miller added. “Speed is (the cause) of a lot of it.”
We’re doing “everything we can do to prevent that from happening,” he continued. “Nobody wants to deliver a message that a child is dead.”
So look for increased enforcement all over Kaua‘i this month.
“We’re out there on a pretty regular basis,” he said. “We’ve been a lot more successful.”
Miller said that putting up both speed traps and drunk-driving checkpoints at various hours and more frequently have netted a lot of driving indiscretions.
Plus, armed with newer and more efficient radar guns, as well as new signs posting a vehicle’s current speed, KPD officers have been able to track more cars.
And KPD officers have increased enforcement of seat-belt and child-passenger-safety-seat laws this month, part of the nationwide “Click It or Ticket” campaign.
“Take your time. Nothing’s worth dying for,” Miller added. “Kukui Grove’s still going to be there.” And if you’re drinking, find someone else to drive.
“Take turns driving,” Miller suggested. “I’m sure people are going to more than one holiday party,” so one drink and one drive, and then switch.
As for the seat-belt laws, seat-belt-law violators face fines of $77.
Child-restraint violators face fines and mandatory court time for the infractions. The KPD officers’ goals are not to write citations, but to work to keep everyone buckled up and safe, they said.
“It’s not worth it,” he said. “Road rash versus (wearing) a seat belt; which is worse?”
And for those who grumble, remember why KPD officers are out there. So far in 2004, Kaua‘i has had 10 traffic fatalities, double the amount of traffic fatalities as 2003 and two and a half-times that of 2002.
“Let us do our job,” Miller continued. They are “trying to get guys who are not driving with other peoples’ safety in mind.”
“We’re not after guys going five miles per hour over (the speed limit). But there is no reason for 10, 15, 20 miles over the limit,” he said.
Tom Finnegan, staff writer, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or tfinnegan@pulitzer.net.
