Highway Safety Annual Report

Hawaii StateDepartment of Transportation

Federal Fiscal Year 2011

Highway Safety Annual Report

Making Hawaii’s highways safe for all residents and visitors is the number onepriority for the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT). HDOT is workingtirelessly to reduce fatalities and injuries on our highways and this year, we are pleasedto report significant progress in our efforts to implement road safety projects andsupport national highway safety programs.

We are fortunate to have the active participation and commitment of all fourcounty police departments. Throughout the year, they not only enforce state trafficlaws, but they also work diligently to bolster national occupant protection and alcoholmobilization efforts across the state.

Thanks to the dedication of HDOT’s Highway Safety Section and the fullcooperation of our law enforcement partners, Hawaii is furthering key programs andinitiatives to save lives by curbing risky behaviors on our highways. This HighwaySafety Annual Report summarizes some of the program highlights and describes someof the initiatives taken during the 2011 federal fiscal year (FFY).

ALCOHOL COUNTERMEASURESThe Hawaii Ignition Interlock Law

took effect on January 1, 2011, withpublic education programs and logisticalcoordination already underway. Withnew technology and this comprehensivelegislation, we are preventing convicteddrunken drivers from operating theirvehicles on our roads while intoxicated.

The HDOT and county policedepartments are continuing the 52/12enforcement program, which ensuresthat at least 52 sobriety checkpoints willbe set up each year in each county insupport of statewide DUI enforcement.

DISTRACTED DRIVINGAll four counties have enacted

ordinances banning the use of handheldelectronic devices while driving, and three ofthe four counties have secured grants toconduct enforcement of the statewide ban.During the upcoming year, we intend toconduct a public education and mediacampaign to highlight the dangers ofdistracted driving and deter everyone fromusing electronic devices while driving onour roadways.

MOTORCYCLE SAFETYTo address the high number of

motorcycle fatalities, the HDOT continues towork on motorcycle safety education with keymotorcycle safety advocates and ridergroups. In May, which was designatednational Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month,the HDOT debuted a new motorcycle safetyadvertising spot. Also, during FFY 2011, weworked to expand motorcycle rider trainingcourses beyond Oahu to the NeighborIslands so that riders in other counties canenroll in these life-saving courses. Trainingon the islands of Kauai, Maui and Hawaiishould begin by June 2012.

OCCUPANT PROTECTIONHawaii remains one of the top-

ranking states in terms of seat belt use,with a 96 percent usage rate in 2011. Weattribute our consistently high numbersto the success of the “Click It or Ticket”campaign coupled with the continuedhard work of our highway safety partners.We supported the high-visibilityenforcement campaign with an impactfulmedia campaign that involved television,radio and movie theater ads. We alsoutilized variable message boards alongour highways in all four counties, anddistributed thousands of banners andposters statewide.

Hawaii is also raising the bar withrespect to nighttime seat beltenforcement. Toward this end, countypolice departments are using innovativeapproaches to target unbelted driversand passengers during the evening andlate-night hours.

Along with our efforts to promoteseat belt use, we have made a concertedeffort to increase compliance withHawaii’s child restraint law. All fourcounty police departments havereceived approval from the HawaiiDepartment of Education to conductchild-restraint checks during drop-offand pick-up times at public schoolsstatewide.

PEDESTRIAN SAFETYIn a state blessed with picture-

perfect weather, where people of allages walk year round, we have seen aslight reduction in pedestrian fatalities.The goal of our second annualPedestrian Safety Month in August wasto organize a pedestrian safety activityevery day of the month and therebyfocus a great deal of public and mediaattention on the issue.

TRAFFIC RECORDSThe statewide Hawaii Traffic Records

Coordinating Committee (HTRCC)continues to move ahead with major

projects that aim to improve upontimeliness, consistency, uniformity,integration and accuracy in Hawaii’sTraffic Safety Information Systems. TheHawaii Department of Health usedNational Highway Traffic SafetyAdministration (NHTSA) grant funding tofurther improve its Hawaii EmergencyMedical Services Information System(HEMSIS) and to advance dataintegration through a pilot projectlinking motor vehicle accident data,emergency medical services data andhospital inpatient records. In addition,county police departments areprogressing in their efforts to achieveelectronic Motor Vehicle AccidentReports, timely transfer of crash data tothe HDOT’s Traffic Accident ReportingSystem, and an electronic citationprogram.

SPECIAL PROJECTSIn addition to these ongoing

programs, the Highway Safety Sectionstaff took on a few additional projects,making the 2011 FFY an especiallybusy one.

We are proud that our staff andvarious highway traffic safety partnershosted and participated in two NHTSAtraining sessions in Honolulu – anImpaired Driving Strategies session inMay followed by a Data Analysis sessionin June. Both classes were attended byour Highway Safety Section staff,representatives from all four countypolice departments and NHTSA partnersfrom the Pacific Region territories. Ourstaff and partners have already begunimplementing some of the strategiespresented in those classes.

Also in June, NHTSA JudicialOutreach Liaison Judge Peggy Horaconducted a session on Ignition Interlockfor Hawaii judges from around the state.Family Court and District Court judgeswere among the 80 or so participants inthe two-day training. Due to thenumerous positive evaluations andcomments we received, we are lookingforward to providing additional trainingopportunities for the Judiciary inthe future.

In July, our Highway Safety Sectionstaff was honored to spend the day withNHTSA Administrator David Stricklandand NHTSA Region 9 AdministratorDavid Manning. The meetings withthese top administrators providedvaluable opportunities for our staff tolearn more about upcoming NHTSAinitiatives andspecific issuesthat affectHawaii. Ourmajorpartners alsohad a chanceto attend acandid “talkstory” session with AdministratorStrickland focused on traffic safety issuesthat concern them.

Although FFY 2011 was a busy yearfor us, it was a rewarding one in terms ofwhat we were able to accomplish. FFY2012 will bring its own challenges, andwe look forward to implementingupcoming highway safety projectsapproved by the Highway Safety Sectionstaff. The staff approvals were basedupon 2010 Hawaii traffic data andrecommendations from the StateHighway Safety Council, county TrafficSafety Councils, and the Hawaii StrategicHighway Safety Plan (SHSP) coordinatingcommittee.

The Highway Safety Section remainsdedicated to saving lives on ourroadways and working closely with sub-grantees and traffic safety partners tofurther all manner of highway safetyissues.

Mahalo,

Glenn M. Okimoto, Ph.D.Director of TransportationGovernor’s Highway SafetyRepresentative

Aloha

A M E S S A G E F R O M T H E G O V E R N O R ’ S H I G H W A Y S A F E T Y R E P R E S E N T A T I V E 1

1 A Message from theGovernor’s HighwaySafety Representative

2 Core PerformanceMeasures

4 Attitudinal Survey Results

5 Annual EvaluationReport Summary

6 Federal AidReimbursement Chart

7 Program Administration

8 Alcohol Countermeasures

10 Occupant Protection

12 Distracted Driving

13 Police Traffic Services

14 Pedestrian/Bicycle Safety

16 Motorcycle Safety

17 Emergency Services

18 Speed Control

20 Traffic Records

CORE OUTCOME MEASURES

CORE BEHAVIOR MEASURES

C-1 Traffic Fatalities (FARS)

Goal: To decrease traffic fatalities by 10 percent, from the2004-2008 base average of 138 to 124.

Result: During calendar year 2010, there was a total of113 traffic fatalities.

C-2 Total Serious Injuries (TARS)

Goal: To decrease serious traffic injuries by 5 percent,from the 2003-2007 calendar year base averageof 435 to 413.

Result: The number of traffic injuries are currently notavailable.

C-3 Total Fatalities/VMT

Goal: 1) Decrease the number of fatalities/VMT from the2004-2008 base average of 1.35 to 1.25.

2) Decrease the urban fatalities/VMT rate from.74 to .64.

3) Decrease the rural fatalities/VMT rate from.61 to .51.

Result: 1) Fatality/VMT rate was 1.12.2) Urban fatalities/VMT rate was .42.3) Rural fatalities/VMT rate was .70.

C-4 Unrestrained Passenger Vehicle Occupant Fatalities inAll Seating Positions (FARS)

Goal: To reduce unrestrained passenger vehicleoccupant fatalities in all seating positions by 10percent from the 2004-2008 calendar year baseaverage of 35 to 32.

Result: In 2010, there was a total of 23 unrestrainedmotor vehicle fatalities.

C-5 Alcohol-Impaired Driving Fatalities

Goal: Reduce the number of drivers or motorcycleoperators with a blood alcohol concentration of.08 g/dL or higher by 10 percent from the 2004-2008 calendar year base average of 64 to 58.

Result: There was a total of 46 alcohol-impaired driversin 2010.

C-6 Number of Speeding-Related Fatalities

Goal: Decrease the number of speeding-related fatalitiesby 10 percent from 2004-2008 calendar year baseaverage of 66 to 59.

Result: During calendar year 2010, there were 46 speed-involved fatal crashes,which resulted in 51fatalities.

C-7 Motorcyclist Fatalities

Goal: Reduce the number of motorcycle fatalities fromthe base rate (5 year average) of 22 to 20.

Result: During calendar year 2010, there were 18motorcycle fatalities.

C-8 Number of Unhelmeted Motorcyclist Fatalities

Goal: Reduce the number of unhelmeted motorcyclistfatalities 10 percent from the 2004-2008 calendaryear base average of 22 to 20.

Result: During calendar year 2010, 13 of the 18motorcyclist fatalities were not wearing helmets.

C-9 Drivers Age 20 or Younger Involved in Fatal Crashes

Goal: Decrease drivers age 20 or younger involved infatal crashes by 10 percent from the 2004-2008calendar year base average of 23 to 21.

Result: There were 14 drivers, age 20 or younger, involvedin fatal crashes. This included two golf cartoperators and one ATV operator.

C-10 Number of Pedestrian Fatalities

Goal: Reduce the number of pedestrian fatalities fromthe base rate (5 year average) of 30 to 27.

Result: During calendar year 2010, there were 26pedestrian fatalities statewide.

B-1 Observed Seat Belt Use For Passenger Vehicles, FrontSeat Outboard Occupants

Goal: Increase from the base rate (5 year average) of96.2% to 96.7%.

Result: Hawaii’s 2011 Summer seat belt survey showedthat Hawaii’s seat belt usage rate was 96%.

CORE ACTIVITY MEASURES

A-1 Seat Belt Citations Issued During Grant FundedEnforcement Activities

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

8,322 6,584 8,322 6,219 7,559

A-3 Speeding Citations Issued During Grant FundedEnforcement Activities

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

4,137 6,187 7,304 9,564 10,306

A-2 Impaired Driving Arrests Made During Grant FundedEnforcement Activities

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

278* 298* 377 349 538

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

97.6% 97% 97.9% 97.6% 96%

HAWAII REPORT CARD

*County and grant funded

CORE PERFORMANCE MEASURES

HAWA I I S TAT E DE PA RTMEN T O F T RAN S PORTAT I ON I 2011 H IGHWAY SA F E T Y ANNUA L RE PORT

2 3

2007 2008 2009 2010

Population 1,276,832 1,287,481 1,295,178 1,360,301

Vehicle Miles Traveled (Millions) – VMT 10,259.9 10,189.1 10,095.2 10,111.0

Traffic Fatalities 138 107 109 113

Traffic Fatalities & Serious Injuries 7,257 6,532 N/A N/A

VMT Fatality Rate 1.35 1.05 1.08 1.12

VMT Fatality & Serious Injury Rate 70.7 64.1 N/A N/A

Population Fatality Rate (100,000) 10.81 8.31 8.42 8.31

Registered Vehicle Fatality Rate 11.82 9.22 9.48 9.81

Population Fatality & Serious Injury Rate (100,000) 565.5 507.1 N/A N/A

Alcohol-Involved Fatalities 69 47 59 46

VMT Alcohol Fatality Rate 0.67 0.46 .58 .45

Population Alcohol Fatality Rate (100,000) 5.4 3.6 4.6 3.4

Percent Population Using Seat Belts 97.6% 97% 97.9% 97.6%

Percent Fatal Vehicle Occupants Unbelted 40.3% 50.8% 54.6% 64.2%

1. Did you know that motor vehiclepassengers under the age of 18are required to wear seat belts inthe back seat?

74% Yes26% No

2. Have you heard of the “Click It orTicket” campaign?

97% Yes3% No

3. Have you heard of the “DrunkDriving. Over The Limit. UnderArrest.” media campaign?

73% Yes27% No

4. Did you know that children underthe age of 8 need to be in a childsafety seat?

77% Yes23% No

B-1 How often do you use seat beltswhen you drive or ride in avehicle?

91% Always7% Most of the time1% Half the time0% Rarely1% Never

B-2 In the past 30-60 days have youread, seen or heard anythingabout seat belt enforcement bythe police?

72% Yes28% No

B-3 What do you think the chancesare of getting a ticket if youdon’t wear seat belts?

44% Half of the time28% Rarely18% Most of the time8% Always2% Never

SEAT BELT USE

5. In the past 30-60 days have youjaywalked?

73% Yes27% No

6. Did you know child safetyresources are available for free?

49% Yes51% No

7. Have you heard of Hawaii’sIgnition Interlock Law?

53% Yes47% No

IMPAIRED DRIVING

A-1 In the past 30-60 days how manytimes have you driven a motorvehicle 2 hours after drinkingalcoholic beverages?

65% Participants did not drive 2hours after consuming analcoholic beverage

15% Have at least 1-2 times in thelast 30-60 days

25% Have driven after consumingalcohol more than 4 times in30-60 day time frame

A-2 In the past 30-60 days have youread, seen or heard anythingabout alcohol-impaired driving(drunk driving) enforcement bythe police?

75% Yes25% No

A-3 What do you think the chances areof someone getting arrested ifthey drive after drinking?

53% Half of the time

20% Most of the time

18% Rarely

8% Always

1% Never

S-1 On a local road with a speedlimit of 30 mph, how often doyou drive faster than 35 mph?

36% Most of the time28% Half the time21% Rarely13% Always2% Never

S-2 On a road with a speed limit of65 mph how often do you drivefaster than 70 mph?

41% Rarely22% Never17% Half of the time8% Most of the time6% Always

S-2a In the past 30-60 days have youread, seen or heard anythingabout speed enforcement bypolice?

65% Yes35% No

S-3 What do you think the chancesare of getting a ticket if youdrive over the speed limit?

55% Half the time17% Rarely14% Most of the time9% Never5% Always

SPEEDING

ATTITUDINAL SURVEY RESULTS - SEPTEMBER 2011

Annual Evaluation Report Summary

4

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS


5

HCS Amount of Cumulative Cumulative Federal Funds Federal FundsFederal Funds Share-to-Local State/Federal Federal Funds Previous Amt. Claimed This

Program Area/Project Obligated Benefit Cost to Date Expended Claimed Period

NHTSANHTSA 402

Planning and Administration $170,969.26 $.00 $341,938.52 $170,969.26 $170,969.26 $.00

Alcohol $194,999.29 $8,256.00 $243,749.12 $194,999.29 $194,999.29 $.00

Emergency Medical Services $71,698.00 $71,698.00 $89,622.50 $71,698.00 $71,698.00 $.00

Motorcycle Safety $50,753.82 $.00 $63,442.28 $50,753.82 $50,753.82 $.00

Occupant Protection $561,995.32 $294,206.18 $702,494.16 $561,995.32 $561,995.32 $.00

Pedestrian/Bicycle Safety $197,283.43 $105,773.26 $246,604.29 $197,283.43 $197,283.43 $.00

Police Traffic Services $13,807.44 $13,807.44 $17,259.30 $13,807.44 $13,807.44 $.00

Traffic Records $5,544.93 $544.93 $6,931.16 $5,544.93 $5,544.93 $.00

Speed Control $383,559.58 $380,535.51 $479,449.49 $383,559.58 $383,559.58 $.00

Distracted Driving $71,803.34 $71,803.34 $89,754.18 $71,803.34 $71,803.34 $.00

NHTSA 402 TOTAL $1,722,414.41 $946,624.66 $2,281,245.00 $1,722,414.41 $1,722,414.41 $.00

405 OCCUPANT PROTECTION SAFETEA-LU TOTAL $170,039.45 $170,039.45 $680,157.80 $170,039.45 $170,039.45 $.00

406 SAFETY BELTS INCENTIVE TOTAL $50,910.17 $50,910.17 $203,640.68 $50,910.17 $50,910.17 $.00

408 DATA PROGRAM SAFETEA-LU TOTAL $98,430.49 $23,425.54 $123,038.12 $98,430.49 $98,430.49 $.00

410 ALCOHOL SAFETEA-LU TOTAL $924,753.40 $665,673.01 $1,849,506.80 $924,753.40 $924,753.40 $.00

410 HIGH FATALITY RATE TOTAL $260,651.97 $260,651.97 $521,303.94 $260,651.97 $260,651.97 $.00

410 HIGH VISIBILITY TOTAL $1,962.16 $.00 $3,924.32 $1,962.16 $1,962.16 $.00

2010 MOTORCYCLE SAFETY INCENTIVE TOTAL $29,460.42 $.00 $29,460.42 $29,460.42 $29,460.42 $.00

2011 CHILD SAFETY SEATS INCENTIVE TOTAL $45,943.17 $45,943.17 $61,256.03 $45,943.17 $45,943.17 $.00

NHTSA TOTAL $3,304,565.64 $2,163,267.97 $5,753,533.11 $3,304,565.64 $3,304,565.64 $.00

GRAND TOTAL $3,304,565.64 $2,163,267.97 $5,753,533.11 $3,304,565.64 $3,304,565.64 $.00

$.00

The primary function of the HighwaySafety Section is to oversee the NationalHighway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA) grant program and other relatedtraffic safety initiatives. As such, grantfunds were used to pay the salary of theHighway Safety Manager and operatingcosts of the Highway Safety Section.Operating costs included staff salaries,travel and training expenses.

FISCAL COORDINATORIn order to provide much needed fiscal

support for the Highway Safety Section, aFiscal Coordinator position was establishedusing grant funds. In addition to overseeingthe NHTSA sub-grantee reimbursementprocess, the coordinator assists with othergrant-related duties. The creation of thisposition enables the Highway SafetySection staff to focus on program areas.

PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION 7


FOCUSING ON INITIATIVES

HIGHWAY SAFETY SECTION - FEDERAL FISCAL YEAR 2011 FUNDING

FEDERAL AID REIMBURSEMENT6


Pedestrian/Bicycle Safety

Emergency Medical ServicesNHTSA TOTAL $4,541,827.21

Occupant Protection

Motorcycle Countermeasures

Speed Control

Program Administration

Police Traffic Services

Alcohol Countermeasures

Traffic Records

academy on Oahu. The sessionsaccommodated 13 trainees from HPD, twofrom the Hawaii County Police Department(HCPD), one from the KPD and one from theMaui Police Department (MPD). As a resultof the Instructor Class and DRE School, fourDREs were certified as instructors and fivecurrent DREs were recertified.

Following DRE School, the DREcandidates completed their certificationrequirements at training evaluation nightsin April and September.

Although the January/February traininghas not yet yielded any certified DREs, eightHPD officers from the 2010 DRE Schoolwere certified in 2011.

Grant funds were also used to sendrepresentatives from KPD, HCPD and HPD tothe 17th Annual Training Conference on

Hawaii’s ignition interlock law wentinto effect on January 1, 2011. It ishoped that by deterring drivers fromdriving while intoxicated, the interlock lawwill play a crucial role in saving lives.Already,more than 1,000 ignitioninterlocks have been installed statewide.

POLICE IMPAIRED DRIVINGCOUNTERMEASURES

Using the National Highway TrafficSafety Administration (NHTSA) “DrunkDriving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest.”slogan, the four county policedepartments continued their overtimeenforcement efforts in combatingimpaired driving. In addition toparticipating in year-round NHTSAimpaired driving enforcementmobilizations, the county policedepartments also continued their 52/12campaign that included conducting aminimum of 52 sobriety checkpointsthroughout FFY 2011,with additionalcheckpoints during major holidays.Altogether, the four counties conducted atotal of 677 checkpoints statewide thatresulted in 538 arrests.

The Kauai Police Department (KPD)also continued its Youth Deterrenceproject. Using grant funds, KPDconducted 18 youth deterrence/parksweeps, resulting in seven LiquorViolation/Minor citations for violators

aged 18-20. There were four detainmentsfor Liquor Violation/Minor for violators underage 18. In addition, there also was onearrest of an adult who supplied alcohol to aminor. Other violations during the projectwere related to marijuana, curfew and arunaway.

To raise awareness of enforcementefforts, each of the four counties issuednews releases and/or conducted animpaired driving media event during eachquarter. In support of overtimeenforcement, the Hawaii Department ofTransportation (HDOT) continued to air itspaid television and radio media campaignaimed at discouraging drivers from drivingdrunk. The media campaign continuedefforts to raise awareness of the HDOT’sprogram.

DRUG RECOGNITION EXPERT ACTIVITIESThe HDOT’s efforts to reenergize and

strengthen the Drug Recognition Expert(DRE) program included DRE trainingsessions, an active recertification initiative,and increased and constant communicationwith law enforcement agencies.

The calendar year started off with aDRE Instructor Class from January 18through 21, followed by a nine-daycombined Pre-School/DRE School fromJanuary 24 through February 4. TheHonolulu Police Department (HPD) hostedboth training sessions at the police

Drugs,Alcohol and Impaired Driving inMontreal, Canada, in July.

Throughout the year, the HighwaySafety Section maintained constantcommunication with the DREs througheach law enforcement agency’s agencycoordinator. In addition, representativesfrom the counties’ Prosecutors Offices,Department of Public Safety NarcoticsEnforcement Division, police departments,Sheriffs Division, Clinical Laboratories ofHawaii and the state’s Traffic SafetyResource Prosecutor were included in e-mail correspondence and distribution ofDRE and drug-related updates. Thesesame representatives have also beenincorporated into the quarterly TrafficCommanders meetings. A large part ofthe second day of the meetings is nowdedicated to discussion of DRE issues.

JUDICIAL TRAININGThe Judiciary and the HDOT

conducted a two-day Judicial training onOahu for judges from throughout thestate. Approximately 80 full-time and perdiem judges participated in the training.State-mandated furloughs made itpossible for so many judges to gather atthe same time. NHTSA’s Judicial OutreachLiaison Judge Peggy Hora flew in fromPhoenix,Arizona, to conduct sessions on

ALCOHOL COUNTERMEASURES8


9

DETERRING IMPAIRED DRIVERS

Ignition Interlock Devices and DrivingWhile Intoxicated laws. Hawaii’s ignitioninterlock vendor Smart Start, Inc., alsomade a presentation. Other presentationsdealt with Sobriety Courts and aLegislative Update. Based on theevaluations that were distributed at thetraining, the judges appreciated thetraining and found the informationvaluable.

PROSECUTORS TRAININGThe Hawaii County Office of the

Prosecuting Attorney conducted statewidetrainings for deputy prosecutors, policedepartments and first responders. Thetraining sessions provided currentinformation on the proper interpretation ofHawaii’s often-changing Operating aVehicle Under the Influence of Intoxicants(OVUII) and traffic laws. They alsoprovided insight into contemporary trialtechniques, as well as current informationon the latest trends and tools used intraffic enforcement. Funds were also usedfor the Traffic Safety Resource Prosecutor’sposition and training. Prosecutors andpolice met to increase cooperative effortsin order to standardize enforcement,investigative and trial strategies and takea more uniform and consistent approachto OVUII law enforcement statewide.

KAUAI PROSECUTOR’S OFFICEThe County of Kauai, Office of the

Prosecuting Attorney, used grant funds tosend the Vehicular Crimes DeputyProsecutor to the quarterly TrafficCommanders meetings in Honolulu andthe annual Lifesavers Conference to keepabreast of traffic issues anddevelopments.

TRAFFIC SAFETY/LAWENFORCEMENT LIAISON

The HDOT continued to fund a TrafficSafety/NHTSA Law Enforcement Liaison

position responsible for such traffic safetyinitiatives as coordinating, initiating andmaintaining the state’s ignition interlockprogram. The liaison scheduled quarterlymeetings with the four county policedepartments and stayed incommunication with them regardingNHTSA mobilizations and training. Inaddition, the liaison organized the state’sDRE/Standardized Field Sobriety Testingprogram, provided updates to the countypolice departments, and assisted theHDOT with research, legislation andvarious projects such as the StrategicHighway Safety Plan.

HDOT TRAFFIC BRANCHFunds were obligated to the HDOT’s

Traffic Branch to coordinate six statewidetraffic safety meetings. The goal of theproject was to ensure that all of Hawaii’sroad users arrive safely at theirdestinations. Funds also were used to payfor meeting facilities and airfare forNeighbor Island partners.

HAWAII DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONThe Hawaii Department of Education

hosted the annual American Driver andTraffic Safety Education Association’sconference in Honolulu. In addition toproviding staffing for this importantconference, the Highway Safety Sectionprovided grant funds to bring in twoconference speakers.

OTHER ALCOHOL COUNTERMEASURESTwo projects were approved but not

implemented for various reasons. TheHawaii Department of Health’s (DOH) DUIcoordinator was able to use DOH funds forseveral initiatives. The AdministrativeDriver’s License Revocation Office projectwas switched from the alcohol programarea to traffic records as the goal of theproject was to gather traffic data.

Over the last decade, Hawaii hasconsistently ranked among the stateswith the highest seat belt usage in thecountry.This is due in part to tirelessenforcement efforts andcontinuing publiceducation and mediacampaigns.

During the FFY2011 grant period,police issued 7,559 seatbelt citations using grantfunds and another6,608 citations usingcounty funds.

Although Hawaiiseat belt usage remainshigh, at 96 percent, fatality data havepointed to decreased seat belt usage atnight.As a result, all four county policedepartments have been conductingregular nighttime enforcementoperations to increase compliance withseat belt laws.

PROMOTING SEAT BELT USEENSURING CHILDPASSENGER SAFETY

In May, the Hawaii Department ofTransportation (HDOT) conducted astatewide media campaign in support ofthe national “Click It or Ticket”

mobilization. During thenews conference to launchthe campaign, HDOTemphasized that policewould conduct seat beltenforcement at night.

The Hawaii CountyPolice Department (HCPD)continued its 3-on-3 Click Itor Ticket BasketballTournament to promote seatbelt use among teenagersand their families. During

the grant period, HCPD organized six 3-on-3 events that drew 824 participantsand approximately 3,850 spectators.Thepopular basketball tournament givespolice an ideal opportunity to alert a keyaudience to the importance of wearingseat belts and using child safety seats.

During FFY 2011, the HDOT and itspartners continued their strongcommitment to child passenger safetythrough creative enforcement strategiesand education.

All four county police departmentsreceived grant funding to enforce Hawaii’sChild Passenger Restraint Law year roundusing innovative tactics. A highlight oftheir efforts was checking for complianceat public schools statewide. Afterapproaching the Hawaii Department ofEducation, the county police departmentswere given special permission to haveofficers check for compliance during drop-off/pick-up periods throughout the year.All parents and caregivers were providedwith information about Hawaii’s childrestraint law prior to the enforcementin schools.

The police departments also set uproadblocks to check for child safety seatviolations and assisted with child restraintseat inspections and installations atcommunity car seat checks.

In all, during the grant period, policeissued 1,255 child safety seat citationsusing grant funds. County funds wereused to issue an additional 951 childsafety seat violations.

In a public show of Hawaii’s pledgeto keeping our keiki safe, Governor NeilAbercrombie and Lieutenant GovernorBrian Schatz issued a proclamation inrecognition and support of National ChildPassenger Safety Week in September. Atthe news conference, the LieutenantGovernor spoke of the importance ofusing child safety seats and thanked thefour county police departments, childpassenger safety partners and volunteersfor all of their hard work.

Throughout the year, these trafficsafety partners conduct child passengersafety activities around the state. Non-profit organizations Keiki Injury PreventionCoalition (Oahu) and the Hawaii Alliancefor Youth (Hawaii County), along with theKauai Police Department and Maui PoliceDepartment, were issued grants tooversee and implement child passengersafety efforts in their respective counties,such as maintaining fitting stations,conducting training and coordinatingcommunity car seat checks. As a result, a

total of 874 child safety seats wereinspected at 41 community car seatchecks around the state.

Also during the grant period, policeofficers, fire fighters, nurses, healthcareemployees and emergency medicalservices personnel joined communitymembers at six child passenger safetyclasses held statewide. With thecompletion of the training, using theNHTSA 4-Day Standardized Curriculum,Hawaii has 64 new child passenger safetytechnicians.

OCCUPANT PROTECTION10


11

Hawaii Maui Kauai Oahu

4-Day Classes 2 1 1 2

Trained 24 13 4 23

Types of EMS, Fire, Police, Police, Nurses,Participants Police, Nurses, Nurses, community healthcare(EMS, Police) community Kaiser employees,

employees community

Fitting Stations 4 5 2 8

Community Car Seat 7 14 7 13Checks

Number of Seats 89 194 163 428Checked

Child Safety Seat Statistics (October 1, 2010 – September 30, 2011)

DISTRACTED DRIVING12


Hawaii does not have a state lawbanning the use of electronic mobiledevices while driving. However, all fourcounties have enacted ordinances thatmake it against the law to use cellphones,MP3 players, gaming devicesand other handheld electronic mobiledevices while driving.

ENFORCING COUNTY ORDINANCES IMPROVING INVESTIGATIONS

While all four county policedepartments were offered grants duringFFY 2011 to conduct overtimeenforcement of electronic mobile deviceordinances, only three were able toaccept grant funding. Supported by thegrants, police in the three counties issued1,501 citations.

Improving traffic investigativetechniques while reducing the amountof time it takes to complete motorvehicle crash investigations remained apriority for the Hawaii Department ofTransportation and the four countypolice departments.

The Honolulu Police Departmenthosted the Institute of Police Technologyand Management’s (IPTM) AdvancedTraffic Crash Investigation and At-SceneTraffic Crash/Traffic Homicide courses inHonolulu. Representatives from theHonolulu and Hawaii County policedepartments attended both classes.

The Maui Police Department (MPD)sent one officer to the Crash DataRecorder Technician & Analyst course inBoston,Massachusetts. One officer alsoattended the ARC-CSI crash conference inLas Vegas, Nevada. MPD also conducteda Laser Technology Inc. (LTI) laser speeddetection course, which resulted incertification of eight new LTI laserinstructors.

In addition, funds were used to sendrepresentatives from the three NeighborIsland police departments to the NationalHighway Traffic Safety Administration DataAnalysis class in Honolulu.

POLICE TRAFFIC SERVICES 13


Oahu Hawaii Maui Kauai Total

Grant Funded 938 184 0 379 1,501Distracted Driving Citations

County Funded 10,666 1,195 222 757 12,840Distracted Driving Citations

Distracted Driving Enforcement Statistics (October 1, 2010 – September 30, 2011)

Protecting Hawaii’s mostvulnerable roadway users was anotherhigh priority. During FFY 2011, theHawaii Department of Transportation(HDOT) conducted three pedestriansafety projects and a bicycle safetyproject.

WALK WISE HAWAIIIn its eighth year, the“Walk Wise

Hawaii” (WWH) program continued toexpand existing partnerships andestablish new ones to ensure that themessage of pedestrian safety reachedas many people as possible. Two newpartners,McDonald’s Restaurants ofHawaii and Farmers’ Insurance Hawaii,played active roles in the 2011program.

McDonald’s Restaurants of Hawaiiwas the perfect partner for the Kupuna(Hawaiian for “elder”) Pledge Cardprogram. Children enrolled atKamaaina Kids programs statewidewere given pledge cards to take hometo discuss pedestrian safety with theirgrandparents or other adults. Uponcompleting the pedestrian pledge,children returned the card to school and

were given a voucher for a complimentaryHappy Meal from McDonald’s.McDonald’s also provided prizes for theKamaaina Kids Pedestrian Safety PosterContest and featured two of the winningposters on McDonald’s tray liners inHawaii during Pedestrian Safety Month.

Farmers’ Insurance Hawaiiincorporated pedestrian safety into theirHot Spots traffic safety program that urgesmotorists to slow down near schools. Inaddition to monthly sign-waving events,Farmers’ Insurance included WWHmessaging in its paid commercial spots,

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both on radio and on the Sunrise morningTV show, the highest-rated morning show inthe state. As a result, over 500,000television viewers and radio listeners wereexposed to the WWH messages throughthis partnership.

During the second annual PedestrianSafety Month,WWH’s goal was to conductat least one pedestrian safety activity a dayfor the entire month of August. LieutenantGovernor Brian Schatz kicked off the month-long observance with a news conferenceand proclamation signing ceremony.

To reach an even broader audienceduring Pedestrian Safety Month, funds wereused in support of two paid mediacampaigns. The pedestrian safety spotentitled“You’ll Never Know Who You’ll RunInto”was shown in movie theatresstatewide. A second campaign wasdirected at bus riders in the City & Countyof Honolulu.

During the grant period, the WWH printand media placements exceeded 3.2million media impressions. In addition, theWWH conducted 36 pedestrian safetypresentations that were seen by more than4,500 people.

HONOLULU POLICE DEPARTMENTAs the majority of pedestrian

fatalities occur in Honolulu, grant fundswere used by the Honolulu PoliceDepartment (HPD) to ensure compliancewith Hawaii’s pedestrian crossing law andthe pedestrian’s right-of-way whencrossing the roadway. HPD’s decoyoperations used plainclothes officers whocrossed in marked un-signalizedcrosswalks. If an approaching vehicle didnot yield the right of way to thepedestrian, uniformed officers stationednearby stopped the violator and issued acitation.

During the grant period, HPD issueda total of 2,062 pedestrian-relatedviolation citations. Police conducted 11pedestrian decoy enforcement operations,which resulted in 124 pedestriancitations, six speeding citations, 162 cellphone citations and 212 other types ofcitations.

In addition to enforcement, policemade 44 traffic safety presentations topromote pedestrian safety.

DEPARTMENT OFTRANSPORTATION SERVICES

The City & County of Honolulu’sDepartment of Transportation Services(DTS) continued its pedestrian safetyactivities. During FFY 2011, the DTScontinued to partner with WWH at sign-waving events and at community eventssuch as the Prime Time Wellness Fairgeared toward senior citizens. The DTSlaunched its annual Halloween“Be SafeBe Seen” pedestrian safety campaign witha proclamation signing ceremony byHonolulu Mayor Peter Carlisle. Thecampaign offers tips on safe walking tochildren and parents and gives them

reflective stickers to wear on theircostumes and clothes while trick-or-treating. Approximately 70,000 stickersand safety flyers were distributed to Oahuschool children from preschool through5th Grade.

BICYCLE HELMET SAFETY PROJECTThe Helmet Safety Project at the

Queen’s Medical Center provided freehelmets and targeted education topediatric patients and their families.Medical staff members at Queen’s arededicated to preventing bicycle injuries byusing the“teachable moment” of a child’streatment for traumatic injuries toemphasize the importance of bicyclesafety. As part of the program, youngpatients and their parents were presentedwith information about bicycle/pedestriansafety and the importance of wearing ahelmet. After the presentation, thepatients received a properly fitted helmetand age-appropriate education materialsto take home. Queen’s distributed about80 helmets and information packets tochildren and teenagers during the grantperiod.

PROTECTING OTHER ROAD USERS

EMERGENCY SERVICES

EXPEDITING EXTRICATIONENCOURAGING SAFE RIDING

Motorcycle safety was again a pressingpriority during FFY 2011 as the number ofregistered motorcycles continued to growand the number of motorcycle fatalities inHawaii remained high.

In May, the Hawaii Department ofTransportation (HDOT) promoted nationalMotorcycle Safety Awareness Month toeducate motorists and motorcyclists ontraffic safety and to share the road. TheHDOT used the occasion to debut a newtelevision and movie theatre advertisingspot to remind drivers to watch formotorcyclists and a radio spot stressing tomotorcycle riders the importance ofwearing proper safety gear and alwaysriding sober.

Leeward Community College (LCC),located on Oahu, received grant funds toexpand the motorcycle safety educationprogram by extending it to Kauai,Maui andHawaii counties,making the trainingstatewide. During FFY 2011, LCC worked torepair existing motorcycle safety resourcesand secure additional equipment needed tosupport the program expansion. LCC alsoworked to secure sites for motorcycle skillsranges and conduct a Motorcycle SafetyFoundation Rider Coach Preparation Courseon Kauai to ensure it had adequate staff forthe facility.

Rider coach preparation training forMaui and Hawaii counties will occur duringFFY 2012. All three training sites on theNeighbor Islands are expected to beoperational by June 2012.

During FFY 2011, the HawaiiDepartment of Transportation (HDOT)approved five grants for emergencymedical services. The goal of thesegrants was to reduce the amount of timeit takes first responders to extricate motorvehicle occupants in accidents, whileincreasing the level of patient care andpreventing fire fighters and otherresponders from injury.

Of the five approved projects, onlythree were completed by the end of thefederal fiscal year.

The Honolulu Fire Departmentpurchased 44 pediatric immobilizationboards, one for each of Honolulu’s firestations, to enhance the level of care forinfants and children involved in motorvehicle crashes. The boards ensurespinal immobilization to reduce the riskof nerve injury, paralysis and impairedphysical development to newborns andtoddlers while in transport.

The Kauai Fire Department (KFD)used grant funds to purchase a vehicularaccident response package for their newKealia Fire Station, which serves the mostpopulated area on Kauai. The equipmentwill be used to quickly and safelyextricate victims of motor vehiclecrashes.

The Maui Fire Department used grantfunds to purchase 14 Rescue 42 Tele CribStrut Kits, one for each fire station onMaui. The kits will be used to stabilizeoverturned vehicles to reduce extricationtime, prevent further injuries to vehicleoccupants and protect first responders.

The two projects that were notcompleted were the KFD’s purchase ofeight Rescue 42 Tele Crib Strut Kits, whichencountered procurement delays, and theHawaii County Fire Department’sAdvanced Extrication Training, which wasdelayed due to scheduling conflicts. Bothprojects are approved for FFY 2012.

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EMERGENCY SERVICES 17


CURBING SPEEDERS

In calendar year 2010, speeding wasa contributing factor in 42 percent oftraffic-related fatalities. In response,county police departments workeddiligently to step up both enforcementand education tactics.

During FFY 2011, officers fromcounty police departments issued a totalof 10,144 speeding citations statewideusing grant funds. In addition, targetedspeed enforcement operations were usedin an attempt to slow drivers and send themessage that officers were on the lookoutfor speeders. The Honolulu PoliceDepartment (HPD) continued its speedenforcement programs, including 12 high-visibility Speeding People EndangerEveryone Driving (SPEED) operations,targeting Oahu’s main freeways andhighways. During the SPEED operations,HPD issued 763 speeding citations, 40excessive speeding violations, threecitations for racing on highways, 17cellular phone/electronic device usecitations, and 234 other traffic citations,and made 17 arrests.

The Hawaii County PoliceDepartment (HCPD) conducted 315speed checkpoints and 42 evening speedcheckpoints. The evening checkpointsyielded 263 citations, two OVUII arrestsand two bench warrant arrests. Inaddition, HCPD participated in allstatewide mobilizations, including anislandwide mobilization to curb speedingfrom August 18-23, 2011.

On Maui, the Maui PoliceDepartment (MPD) continued its ownspeed campaign called Operation SPEEDfrom January 17-21, 2011. Officers fromthe Traffic Vehicular Homicide Unit, DUITask Force and various districts targetedfive highways and six secondaryroadways. As a result of this effort, MPDissued 683 speeding citations, sevenexcessive speeding citations, 50 moving

citations, 24 seatbelt citations, seven childrestraint citations, 58 regulatory citationsand 38 electronic device citations.

The police departments used grantfunding to purchase equipment to supporttheir speed control activities: The KauaiPolice Department (KPD) bought three LTIlaser speed guns and three Stalker DSR2X radar speed detection devices; HCPDacquired 12 LTI 20/20 Truspeed laserunits; and HPD purchased 11 speed laserdetector speed instruments.

Each county police departmentinitiated additional measures to curbspeeding. KPD strategically displayedbanners and signs along Kauai roadwaysand used speed trailers to advisemotorists of their speed. Likewise,MPDutilized speed-monitoring trailers as adeterrent to speeding motorists,

conducted a community-requestedspeed survey in Kahana, and collectedspeed data in Lahaina,Waihee andWailuku. HPD focused on educatingdrivers on the consequences ofspeeding. Targeting Haleiwa,Waialua,Wahiawa and Mililani, traffic divisionofficers spoke with people about thedangers of speeding and distributedapproximately 177 flyers.

Monies were also used to sendKPD’s Chief of Police and TrafficCommander and HCPD’s Deputy PoliceChief and Traffic Commander toHonolulu for a Town Hall Meeting withNHTSA Administrator David Strickland onJuly 18, 2011. Also in attendance at themeeting were representatives from HPD,MPD, Administrative Driver’s LicenseRevocation Office, Federal HighwayAdministration and Mothers AgainstDrunk Driving (MADD).

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Along with support for speed controlenforcement, HCPD received funds tocontinue its specialized AggressiveDriving Program. As part of the program,officers conducted 158 high-visibilitycheckpoints and 89 inconspicuousprojects using the Traffic EnforcementUnit’s stealth police vehicles inconjunction with marked patrol vehicles.This program resulted in 1,589 speedingcitations, 403 moving citations, 23seatbelt citations, 17 child restraintcitations, 459 other citations, two OVUIIarrests and 24 other arrests. HCPD’sTraffic Services Section also sent out 175letters to registered vehicle owners inresponse to reckless driving/speedingcomplaints it received.

Oahu Hawaii Maui Kauai Total

Grant Funded 5,562 1,348 2,575 659 10,144Speed Citations

County Funded 34,918 10,713 n/a 2,401 48,032Speed Citations

Speed Enforcement Statistics (October 1, 2010 – September 30, 2011)

Supported by Section 408 funds,the Hawaii Department of Transportation(HDOT), county police departments andother state agencies further improvedHawaii’s Traffic Safety InformationSystems.

Among the issues and trafficrecords concerns tackled at monthlymeetings of the Hawaii Traffic RecordsCoordinating Committee (HTRCC) were:

� Development of an electroniccitation system and electronic MotorVehicle Accident Report (MVAR);

� More efficient and timelytransfer of crash records from the policedepartments to HDOT;

� Progress on usage, accessibility,completeness, data collection and dataanalysis being made with the stateDepartment of Health’s (DOH) HawaiiEmergency Medical ServicesInformation System (HEMSIS); and

� Collaborations between HTRCCmembers and the Administrative Driver’sLicense Revocation Office (ADLRO) toimprove procedures, efficiency and datacollection.

The committee also continued toaddress recommendations from the 2006NHTSA Traffic Records Assessment alongwith strategies from the Strategic HighwaySafety Plan.

HAWAII TRAFFICRECORDS ASSESSMENT

From September 11-16, 2011, ateam of NHTSA traffic records expertswere in Hawaii to conduct the federallymandated Traffic Records Assessment.Key representatives from the four countypolice departments, the HDOT, theJudiciary, DOH, City & County of HonoluluDepartment of Transportation Services,Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization,county Prosecutors’ Offices, FederalHighway Administration, HTRCC and otherinvolved organizations completed pre-assessment questionnaires, forwardedapplicable background materials andattended interview sessions. Grant fundswere used towards travel-related costs,honorariums,meeting facilities andcontracting of the Hawaii Local TechnicalAssistance Program to assist withorganization and coordination of theAssessment.

COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENTSDuring FFY 2011, three major traffic

records projects – electronic citations,electronic MVAR and transfer of crash

records – directly involved the four countypolice departments. Although there wereunexpected challenges and some delaysdue to vendors, the projects gainedmomentum after the HTRCC decided towork with the Hawaii InformationConsortium (HIC), a local organizationthat cooperates with other state andcounty agencies to develop,manage andmaintain online applications including anelectronic bench warrants system. TheMaui Police Department, the first to sign aStatement of Work, is working with HIC totransfer crash data to the HDOT in anelectronic format.

In addition, the four policedepartments sent representatives to themonthly HTRCC meetings; the 37thAnnual International Forum on TrafficRecords and Highway Safety InformationSystems in Charlotte, North Carolina; andthe Hawaii Traffic Records Assessment.

Due to delays, FFY 2011 funds werenot used to purchase equipment, softwareor licenses.

DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH HEMSIS/NEMSIS

The DOH’s Emergency MedicalServices and Injury Prevention SystemBranch continued to improve its InjurySurveillance System, also known asHEMSIS. The HEMSIS User Conference,held on Oahu from April 19-21, 2011,included national NEMSIS officials, EMSpersonnel, DOH staff and HTRCCmembers. HEMSIS users receivedvaluable software training and updates on

national activities and progress onNEMSIS 3.0 implementations.

Grant funds were also applied to apilot project linking data from majorMVARs, EMS reports and the HawaiiHealth Information Corporation’s (HHIC)inpatient records and hospital emergencydepartment abstracts. The linkageprovides the optimal level of informationto examine the causes of crashes, and thetechnical and medical interventions thatmitigate related injuries.

With the purchase and installation ofGIS software, the DOH has successfullyused GIS and GPS technology toaccurately pinpoint the location of trafficcrashes, particularly in areas of Oahuwithout close proximity to a street addressor mile marker. This information isinstrumental in traffic safety and urbantransportation planning, and in support oflegislation.

ADMINISTRATIVE DRIVER’S LICENSEREVOCATION OFFICE IGNITIONINTERLOCK DATABASE

Hawaii’s Ignition Interlock law wentinto effect on January 1, 2011. With thisnew law came a heightened need for dataon OVUII arrests, cases sustained orrescinded, repeat intoxicated drivers,requests for ignition interlock permits,permit requests granted/denied, etc.Unfortunately, the ADLRO was notadequately equipped to properlydocument records or produce datareports. Grant funds were used topurchase new computers and software toallow the ADLRO to work collaboratively

ADDRESSING DATA NEEDS

with state and county agencies to carryout requirements of the new law andencourage the use of the ignitioninterlock devices. With the new tools, theADLRO can improve upon the timelinessof its recordkeeping and data analysis,completeness of DUI/ignition interlockreports, staff access to records and policeaccess to forms.

HDOT TRAFFIC BRANCHThe HDOT Traffic Branch is

responsible for the Highway SafetyImprovement Program (HSIP) and formaintaining the Traffic Accident ReportingSystem,which houses data from majorMVARs. Major traffic accident data iscollected and analyzed to recommendsafety improvement projects in the Stateof Hawaii. This branch is also leading

HDOT efforts to collect crash dataelectronically. To further their expertise,representatives attended the 37thInternational Forum on Traffic Recordsand Highway Safety Information Systemsin Charlotte, North Carolina, where theylearned what other states are doing withelectronic MVAR systems. During FFY2011, representatives from the TrafficBranch also participated in the HawaiiTraffic Records Assessment.

JUDICIARY CITATION SOFTWAREFunds were allocated for the

purchase of software needed tointerface between the police departmente-citation information system and theJudiciary Information ManagementSystem (JIMS). The Judiciary’s e-citation project was undertaken withoutgrant funding.

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State of Hawaii

Department of Transportation

Highway Safety Section

869 Punchbowl Street • Room 405

Honolulu, Hawaii 96813

Ph: (808) 587-6300 • Fax: (808) 587-6303

www.hawaii.gov/dot

Highway Safety Annual Report

Documents

Transcript of Highway Safety Annual Report