Question: We were driving west on Moanalua Freeway just past Red Hill in heavy traffic on Sept. 22. There was a serious single-car accident, and the disabled vehicle was on the left shoulder. An ambulance and a police vehicle were parked in the left lane adjacent to the disabled vehicle. Traffic had slowed to a crawl, but none of the vehicles moved over to create a one-lane buffer to the first-responder vehicles. Is this appropriate under the new law?
Question: As I drove down the H-2 freeway recently, I was concerned to see two HPD solo bike officers assisting a motorist, and not one car moved over to provide a safety zone for those officers. I see the "Click It or Ticket" signs along the freeways. How about a sign reminding us to "Move Over"?
Answer: The new law requires drivers to "slow down to a reasonable and prudent speed that is safe under the circumstances of an emergency road situation ahead. … If necessary the driver shall come to a complete stop before making a lane change … (and) make a lane change into the adjacent lane if necessary and if it is safe to do so, or if possible, to two lanes over which leaves one lane between the driver and emergency vehicle."
Act 318, commonly referred to as the "move over" law, took effect upon the signature of Gov. Neil Abercrombie on July 10, but there’s been little publicity about it since.
However, the Honolulu Police Department says it will be publicizing the new law shortly.
"In the meantime, we hope that drivers will voluntarily comply for everyone’s safety," spokeswoman Michelle Yu said.
The new law was prompted by the deaths of HPD officers Eric Fontes, who was killed Sept. 13, 2011, while assisting another officer during a traffic stop on Farrington Highway, and Garret Davis, who was killed Jan. 21 when a pickup truck hit his vehicle after he had stopped to help a motorist on the H-1 freeway.
Question: I read somewhere that a woman couldn’t renew her driver’s license because her birth certificate had a middle name that was not on her driver’s license. She was advised to have a legal name change, which cost more than $200. I have two middle names on my birth certificate but use only one on my driver’s license. Will I have to do the same?
Answer: It depends on what name you want on your driver’s license.
If a person’s birth name has not changed, the birth name is that person’s legal name and must appear on the driver’s license, said Dennis Kamimura, administrator of the city Motor Vehicle and Licensing Division.
If the person wishes to remove or change the middle name(s) as indicated on the birth certificate, then proof of an official documented name change is required. That may have been the case for the woman you cite.
However, if that person had agreed to use the legal birth certificate name on her driver’s license, and other required documents reflect that name, that person would not have had to have a legal name change.
The requirement is that the name on your driver’s license must be your legal name.
All documents submitted for proof of name, Social Security number, date of birth and legal presence in the U.S. must indicate the same name, Kamimura explained.
The licensing staff will accept a Social Security card that does not have someone’s complete middle name as long as the first and last names are the same as the documents submitted for proof of name, date of birth and legal presence, he said
Kamimura said if anyone applying for a driver’s license has any questions or does not agree with what a staff person says, he or she should ask to speak to a supervisor.
AUWE
To the person leaving Lanikai in a BMW SUV at about 9:40 a.m. Sept. 15. Your crossing of double yellow lines, speeding and flagrantly running a red light while turning left off South Kalaheo onto Kuulei Road clearly demonstrate that you are a driving menace. I hope you see this and start driving responsibly before you injure someone.
— Lanikai Keo
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