LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Police Department is urging motorists to drive with aloha and obey all traffic laws, including the “move-over law” (Hawai‘i Revised Statutes 291C-27) that requires drivers to slow down to a reasonable speed that is safe under the circumstances and, if possible, make a lane change in order to leave one lane between the driver and an emergency vehicle or situation.
LIHU‘E — The Kaua‘i Police Department is urging motorists to drive with aloha and obey all traffic laws, including the “move-over law” (Hawai‘i Revised Statutes 291C-27) that requires drivers to slow down to a reasonable speed that is safe under the circumstances and, if possible, make a lane change in order to leave one lane between the driver and an emergency vehicle or situation.
The move-over law applies to all first responding vehicles such as police, fire and ambulances, and also includes tow trucks.
According to the law, upon approaching or in front of any emergency vehicle, drivers are required to slow down and make a lane change into the adjacent lane. On two-lane roads, which Kaua‘i predominately consists of, a driver should not cross over the dividing lines. However, the driver is still required to slow down to a reasonable speed that is prudent — typically around 15 miles per hour in a residential area.
While voilators will not get ticketed, it is a criminal violation, a KPD spokesperson clarified. “As applicable, drivers could be charged with negligent injuries or negligent homicide.”
KPD’s reminder of the move-over law is due to the recent death of a tow-truck driver on O‘ahu who was struck and killed by a vehicle while responding to an emergency on the H-2 freeway.
“Slowing down to a reasonable speed and, when possible, moving over to give first responders a safe place to work, is an easy and effective way to save a life,” said KPD Patrol Services Bureau Assistant Chief Mark Begley.
“KPD’s Traffic Safety Section will be out enforcing this law in the coming weeks, so please slow down and, when possible, please move over.”
More information on the law can be found at capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol05_Ch0261-0319/HRS0291C/HRS_0291C-0027.htm.
What can be done about all the tourists and others walking on the roads that are narrow in front of Poipu beach’s creating a very dangerous situation? Also so concerning -that people just walk onto streets [ all over Kauai] without looking for cars coming on the road. What has happened to common sense these days?
I can agree. Common sense seems to be absent everywhere you look. Common sense wasn’t being used by the city planning division or the County council members who all lacked the foresight to see that the volume of citizens and tourists alike , would be so great one day as to necessitate more than one road on Kauai. Tourists are just big children, if you don’t show them the correct way to do things ,they will just learn how from their contemporaries.
People need to understand its SLOW DOWN… not Slam on your brakes. Many times recently I’ve been in a row of cars and a emergency vehicle approaches and the front person slams on their brakes causing everyone behind them to almost get into accidents. It’s common sense.
KPD should enforce the speed limit for the slow people as well. Daily, on my way to work I try to leave at a certain time to avoid the CHRONIC SLOW DRIVERS… yes, we all know your vehicles by now. That decide they are going to drive 35 MPH all the way from somewhere in the Westside to Lihue. It is frustrating and I can’t be the only person that gets irritated by this. If you can’t follow the speed limit, on all levels, you need to get a bus pass or pull over. It’s obvious when you have NO vehicles in front of you and an entire line of vehicles behind you that you are the problem, and you need to speed up or pull over.
How about some passing lanes between Kapaa and northshore? That could help the problem of too many cars and some visitors and locals who drive 15 under the speed limit.
Tow Trucks? How about getting the red flashing lights off of tow trucks, I see a particular company located in Kapaia using red flashing lights and the KPD has yet to address it, now your telling them they have the right of way?