Crashes won't change police policy on SUVs

By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer

Honolulu police will continue to allow officers to drive subsidized sport utility vehicles despite two recent accidents in which one officer was killed and another critically injured.

The department subsidizes about 1,200 private vehicles for use by officers and about half are SUVs, Assistant Chief Karl Godsey said yesterday. Since HPD approved the use of SUVs in 1991, there have been three incidents in which a subsidized SUV has rolled over, Godsey said.

There were no injuries in the first incident, but on Aug. 16 officer Issac Veal was killed when his Dodge Durango crashed as he responded to a call in Mililani. On Sept. 16, officer Kevin Bailey was critically injured when his Ford Explorer struck a car that had turned in front of him in Wailupe.

The vehicles in both crashes rolled over. Veal, who police said was not wearing a seat belt, was thrown from the vehicle. Bailey had his safety harness on, but was pinned in his SUV. Both crashes remain under investigation.

Godsey said all private vehicles must meet department specifications and be approved by the Uniform Equipment Committee and the chief. He said officers receive a subsidy of $450 to $495 a month to maintain vehicles.

Godsey cited a recent report by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration that said SUVs have a greater tendency than other vehicles to roll over in crashes. The report also said that those crashes have a higher rate of deaths.

But Godsey pointed out that in 75 percent of the fatal rollover crashes, the victims were not wearing a safety belt. The department requires that officers wear seat belts, he said.

Godsey said that unless the Bailey and Veal investigations show there was a problem with the vehicles, there are no plans to change the department's policy.

"We're investigating these as crashes, we're not investigating SUVs in particular," he said. "But should information come from the investigation that leads us to believe that the SUV or equipment itself was a problem, not the operation of the equipment, then we would look at getting rid of the equipment."

Godsey said the department will provide officers with the NHTSA report and let them decide what vehicle to purchase.

"One death is too many, but I think with the frequency that we're out on the highways and operating in emergency situations, that's extremely low," Godsey said. "Our officers are pretty good at what they do."

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8025.