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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, July 3, 2003

BUREAUCRACY BUSTER
Tint rules protect police

By Treena Shapiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

Q. We have laws prohibiting too-dark window tinting on vehicles, but what about drivers who wear heavily tinted dark glasses? Do police consider that a "windshield" deterrent?

A. Apparently, the tint issue does not involve a driver's being able to see out as much as it involves other people's being able to see in.

Capt. Jose Gaytan of the Honolulu Police Department's Traffic Division said that while visibility is a factor in the windshield tinting regulations, "a big part" of the law is to ensure the safety of "police officers when they make traffic stops." While large weapons can be concealed behind tinted windows, dark glasses can't hide much.

Gaytan speculated that sunglasses aren't regulated because they can be removed if the driver is unable to see. "Nobody uses glasses to restrict vision," he noted.

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Q. Why can't we have a sign saying drivers may turn left on green with caution on Kamehameha Highway when they're trying to get on H-3 toward Kailua?

I sat there at 7:07 a.m. and waited for a green arrow for two minutes while about four cars came through the light from the Pali direction. Then the left-turn light for the H-3 off-ramp turned green and there were no cars there to turn onto Kamehameha Highway.

Can't an inspector go down at that time and analyze that intersection and have it corrected?

A. Alvin Takeshita, acting chief of the traffic branch of the state Department of Transportation, said his investigators will check this particular light to make sure it is looping properly, since an error there could trigger a green signal even when there is no approaching traffic.

They will also review whether the signal is operating efficiently, particularly during non-peak hours.

However, Takeshita said 7:07 a.m. falls during the morning rush hour, when traffic flow on the main thoroughfare is given priority.

Don't hold your breath waiting to be allowed to turn left without the green arrow. Takeshita said drivers who are allowed to make a left turn when on the green "ball" light often get confused and think that their turn is protected in the same way it would be if they were turning on a green arrow.

However, when turning on the green ball light, they are really supposed to yield to oncoming traffic. "This confusion has led to severe accidents that have resulted in fatalities and serious injuries," he said.

DOT is working to convert all left-turn signals in high-speed areas to allow left-arrow turns only, he said.

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Do you ever get frustrated or confused trying to navigate the various layers of government? Are you looking for an answer to a simple question but can't figure out where to start? If you have a question or a problem and need help getting to the right person, you can reach The Bureaucracy Buster one of three ways:

• Write to: The Bureaucracy Buster
The Honolulu Advertiser
605 Kapi'olani Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96813

• e-mail: buster@honoluluadvertiser.com

• Phone: 535-2454 and leave a message.

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