Maui Police Department’s Operation Speed nets 683 Citations

By Wendy Osher

Speed Enforcement Team officers along Kahului Beach Road on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2011. Photo by Wendy Osher.

An “Operation Speed” campaign conducted by enforcement officers with the Maui Police Department, netted 683 citations over a five-day period.

The speed enforcement campaign was conducted between Jan. 17 and Jan. 21, 2011 and also included 7 citations for excessive speeding, 50 citations for moving violations, 24 seat belt infractions, and 7 child restraint violations.

There were also 58 regulatory citations and 38 people who were cited under the state’s new cell phone driving ban for using an electronic device while driving.

Maui Police Department Lieutenant Wayne K. Ibarra, said the  campaign included enforcement along all of Maui’s major highways as well as smaller thoroughfares where speeding has been an issue.  This included parts of Waihee, Kihei and Kahului Beach Road.

Lt. Michael Kaho’ohanohano, the Commander of the MPD Traffic Division said the program was conducted in an effort to make Maui’s roadways a safe place to drive and to address speeding as a major cause of accidents that have occurred on Maui’s highways in 2010.   Of the thirteen fatalities recorded in Maui County in 2010 approximately six of them involved speed.

Speed enforcement crews continue unannounced, unscheduled speed enforcement throughout the year.  Earlier today, speed enforcement officers issued citations to motorists along a stretch of Puunene Avenue in Kahului.