Requesting The Department Of Law Enforcement And Department Of Transportation To Study The Possibility Of A Highway Patrol And The Installation Of Speed Cameras Along Major Freeways And Highways In Primary Areas Of Speeding, Including The Impact It Would Have On The District Courts.
Summary
HCR43 is a nonbinding concurrent resolution that asks the Department of Law Enforcement and the Department of Transportation to study whether Hawaii should create a highway patrol and install speed cameras on major freeways and highways in areas with the most speeding. The resolution frames the issue as a traffic safety response to congestion, speeding-related crashes, and motor vehicle fatalities, and it specifically asks for consideration of how such a program would affect the district courts.
The measure does not itself change any statutes or create an enforcement program. Instead, it directs state agencies to evaluate the feasibility, operational design, and court impacts of automated speed enforcement and a statewide highway patrol model, with the expectation that the study could inform future legislation or administrative action. Its practical effect is to place the issue of speed enforcement, roadway safety, and agency coordination on the state policy agenda.
Impact
Because HCR43 is a concurrent resolution, it has no direct legal effect and does not amend Hawaii law, create penalties, or authorize speed cameras or a highway patrol by itself. Its impact is limited to requesting a study by the Department of Law Enforcement and the Department of Transportation, including an assessment of how automated enforcement might affect district court caseloads and procedures. If followed by later legislation, the study could influence traffic enforcement policy, roadway safety planning, and the allocation of enforcement resources.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests generally favorable sentiment toward the resolution. Both committee votes shown passed unamended, indicating support for studying the issue rather than immediate implementation. The bill’s findings also reflect a policy consensus that speeding is a serious public safety problem and that state-level coordination may help address resource limitations faced by local law enforcement.
Contention
The main point of contention appears to be whether Hawaii should move toward automated speed enforcement and a statewide highway patrol model, and what the downstream consequences would be for the district courts. Supporters emphasize traffic safety, fatal crash prevention, and the ability to use technology to stretch limited enforcement resources. Potential concerns, though not detailed in the available transcripts, likely include privacy, fairness, due process, local control, and the administrative burden of processing citations and court cases generated by speed cameras.