Comments on: Yes, Hawaii Has Traffic, Too http://www.hawaii-aloha.com/blog/2008/07/18/yes-hawaii-has-traffic-too/ Sat, 20 Mar 2010 10:56:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Rock Hound http://www.hawaii-aloha.com/blog/2008/07/18/yes-hawaii-has-traffic-too/#comment-8206 Rock Hound Sun, 20 Jul 2008 15:21:24 +0000 http://www.hawaii-aloha.com/blog/?p=588#comment-8206 When visiting the Big Island some time ago I received my first and last traffic ticket there; last since I simply I refuse to visit again. Was I traveling faster than the posted limit, yes, was I speeding, no. The officer who pulled me over did not care that I was from some place where the posted speed limit is 25 mph higher, nor that I was going down hill with a strong tail wind, nor that the road was empty (about 1 car per mile at the time) ; not important. The car rental companies do not tell you the consequences of driving higher than the posted speed limits, nor that the posted speed limits are vastly lower than most other places. Let’s face it, we all have driving habits where we are from, and they are not going to change just because we are in a different State for a few days. Certainly, it’s the State of Hawaii’s call, but my decision is to always spend my $8,000 somewhere else in the future. Talking to a variety of staff at the hotel about this the next day, they were surprised he pulled me over before the posted speed limit drops to 45 mph, this is just north of the turnoff to the Fairmont Kona hotel. Usually, they say, you will get nicked immediately where the posted speed limit drops to 45 mph. So if you travel to Hawaii, either do not drive, or drive the posted speed limit. Curiously to this last point, the next day I drove down to South Point at, or less, than the posted speed limit; a number of times the l;ine of cars behind me quickly grew to 20 or more (difficult to count all of them!). Wow, talk about seeing the ruder side of Hawaiian drivers. Three times I had people honk at me as if there was something wrong (it’s mostly a 2 lane road south of Kona with maybe 4 places for passing), and when they did pass, their expressions were certainly not of the “thanks for spending your money on our island” variety. Off they went at about 20 mph faster than the posted speed limit!!! When visiting the Big Island some time ago I received my first and last traffic ticket there; last since I simply I refuse to visit again. Was I traveling faster than the posted limit, yes, was I speeding, no. The officer who pulled me over did not care that I was from some place where the posted speed limit is 25 mph higher, nor that I was going down hill with a strong tail wind, nor that the road was empty (about 1 car per mile at the time) ; not important.

The car rental companies do not tell you the consequences of driving higher than the posted speed limits, nor that the posted speed limits are vastly lower than most other places. Let’s face it, we all have driving habits where we are from, and they are not going to change just because we are in a different State for a few days. Certainly, it’s the State of Hawaii’s call, but my decision is to always spend my $8,000 somewhere else in the future.

Talking to a variety of staff at the hotel about this the next day, they were surprised he pulled me over before the posted speed limit drops to 45 mph, this is just north of the turnoff to the Fairmont Kona hotel. Usually, they say, you will get nicked immediately where the posted speed limit drops to 45 mph.

So if you travel to Hawaii, either do not drive, or drive the posted speed limit. Curiously to this last point, the next day I drove down to South Point at, or less, than the posted speed limit; a number of times the l;ine of cars behind me quickly grew to 20 or more (difficult to count all of them!). Wow, talk about seeing the ruder side of Hawaiian drivers. Three times I had people honk at me as if there was something wrong (it’s mostly a 2 lane road south of Kona with maybe 4 places for passing), and when they did pass, their expressions were certainly not of the “thanks for spending your money on our island” variety. Off they went at about 20 mph faster than the posted speed limit!!!

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