Maui Police Launch Distracted Driver Campaign April 1

The Maui Police Department begins a month-long enforcement effort in April focused on curbing distracted driving.

The campaign is part of the national “U Drive. U Text. U Pay.” enforcement campaign that runs from April 1-30, 2018.  The campaign will include additional enforcement of Hawaiʻi’s Mobile Electronic Device Law.

Law enforcement nationwide will be using a combination of traditional and innovative strategies to crack down on motorists who text while driving, including the use of advertising and media outreach to gain compliance.

Hawaiʻi’s Mobile Electronic Device law went into effect on July 1, 2013. Under Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes 291C-137, anyone using a Mobile Electronic Device while driving faces a fine of $297 or $347 if in a school or construction zone. Mobile Electronic Devices include, but are not limited to: cellphones, tablet computers, digital cameras and gaming devices.

The Maui Police Department urges all drivers to remember to use a hands free device, pull over or just wait until they reach their destination before using any Mobile Electronic Device. “Our primary goal during the operation is to make the roadways of Maui County safe for the entire public to use by reducing the number of motor vehicle collisions caused by distracted driving,” police said.

According to 2015 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics, an estimated 3,477 people were killed and an additional 391,000 were injured in motor vehicle crashes involving distracted drivers.

According to NHTSA, at any given daylight moment across America, approximately 660,000 drivers are using cell phones or manipulating electronic devices while driving, a number that has held steady since 2010.

Police are also reminding drivers that the State of Hawaiʻi has a “Move Over Law” that states drivers approaching an emergency vehicle that is stopped with its flashing emergency lights, shall: slow down to a safe speed, make a lane change into the adjacent lane or if possible, to two lanes over which leaves one lane between the driver and the emergency vehicle. If necessary, the driver shall come to a complete stop before making a lane change.