Posted on: Wednesday, August 25, 2004
Police share of fines sought
By Mike Leidemann
Advertiser Transportation Writer
Local police should receive a portion of fines collected from traffic violators to help fight speeding, drunken driving and other traffic safety problems, state Transportation Director Rod Haraga said yesterday.
Haraga said he'd support an effort to give counties half of all money collected in traffic fines — estimated at $3 million a year —back to local governments.
Under the current law, local police enforce all traffic laws in the state but receive none of the money collected by the courts. Instead, the money stays with the state government.
A final decision on whether to seek the change in law will rest with Gov. Linda Lingle, Haraga said.
The idea was one of dozens tossed around yesterday at a city-sponsored transportation safety summit held at the Blaisdell Center.
Other ideas included new proposals to impound vehicles of drunken drivers and excess speeders, ban "pocket bike" motorcycles from city streets and teach residents better driving habits.
Police and county officials attending the meeting liked the idea of giving more money to county police for traffic enforcement, but said it would be a hard sell at the Legislature.
"It's an idea I've always supported, but if the state is short of money, it's probably not going to happen," said Cal Kawamoto, head of the state Senate Transportation Committee.
"It sounds good, but when there's a give, there's always a take," added City Council Transportation Chairman Nestor Garcia, who organized yesterday's summit.
Conference participants agreed that increased police enforcement of traffic laws is one of the best ways to reduce speeding and accidents.
"Anything that puts more resources into the hands of police officers and puts more officers on the road will always help," said city prosecutor Peter Carlisle. "It's all about enforcement, enforcement, enforcement."
Honolulu police also are considering a proposal to allow officers to impound vehicles of drunken drivers or excess speeders and make owners pay to reclaim them.
In the past, police have opposed vehicle confiscation, saying they do not have enough space or money to safely store and protect the vehicles until the cases can be heard by a judge. Under the new idea, local towing companies would be able to impound the cars for up to 30 days in private lots.
"Then, if you want your car back, you'd have to go pay for all the towing and storage fees. That would probably amount to $800 or $1,000," said police Sgt. Robert Lung.
Another law being considered would cast a wide net to control all new motor vehicles, such as the small "pocket bike" motorcycles that can get up to 75 mph when modified.
In the past, the Honolulu City Council has tried to deal separately with the safety issues caused by each new popular motor vehicle, such as gas-powered scooters and the pocket bikes.
"No sooner do we pull the plug on one thing than a new one comes along," Lung said.
Under the new approach, the city may try to ban all motorized vehicles that aren't covered under existing laws, Lung said.
"The new thinking is that if it isn't in the existing law, then it shouldn't be on the street," he said.
Carlisle and others said that even when enforcement is effective, too many cases are dismissed or minimized by the state courts.
"The first thing drivers worry about when they get arrested is how much their insurance is going to go up, not how much time they are going to spend in jail. That's because they know when they go to court they are going to go home as free as the birds in the sky," he said.
Others said getting drivers to take personal responsibility —not fearing the police or the courts — is the key to reducing the number of fatal accidents in Hawai'i, which last year jumped to 135, a 13 percent increase over 2002.
Even though Honolulu police have averaged more than 2,100 arrests for alcohol-related driving offenses in recent years, the number of alcohol-related fatalities shot up more than 40 percent last year, bucking a decades-long decline, said Carol McNamee, spokeswoman for Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Hawai'i.
"It's never the car. It's always the loose nut behind the wheel," said Mike Oakland, owner of Hawai'i Raceway Park, which offers programs 310 days a year to get those interested in fast cars off the highways and into a safe environment.
"The Legislature is a tough place to go for change. Then you've got the police who don't have enough resources, and the courts who tend to let it go," Oakland said. "The only real place you are going to deal with this is on the personal level."
Garcia said the summit offered decision-makers a lot of possibilities.
"We've heard a lot about what it takes to change attitudes and take personal responsibility," he said "Hopefully things will begin to change."
Reach Mike Leidemann at 525-5460 or mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.
