Question: How much would a ticket be with that red-light camera?
Answer: Not more than $200 for the first offense, up to $300 for a second violation and up to $500 for a third or subsequent violation, if committed within one year of the first offense, according to Senate Bill 663, Senate Draft 2, the measure under consideration in the state Legislature. You can read the bill at 808ne.ws/sb663.
The measure, if approved, would allow each county to set up its own red-light camera enforcement program; the bill explains how these systems operate:
“With photo red-light imaging detector systems, a camera is positioned at intersections where red light violations are a major cause of collisions and serves as a 24-hour deterrent to running a red light. Sensors are buried under a crosswalk and lead to a self-contained camera system mounted on a nearby structure. When a vehicle enters the intersection against a red light, the camera takes a telephoto color picture of the rear of the car, capturing the license plate. A second wide-angle photograph takes in the entire intersection, including other traffic.”
Within 72 hours of a violation, a ticket would be mailed to the registered owner of the vehicle at the address on record, according to the bill, which says that such systems make streets safer, free up police from traffic enforcement and result in fewer contested tickets.
“A violator is less likely to go to court because the color photograph of the violation, imprinted with the time, date, and location of the violation, and the number of seconds the light had been red before the violator entered the intersection, can be used as evidence in court,” it says.
From 2011 to 2016 there were 1,616 intersection crashes reported in Hawaii due to red-light or other traffic signal violations, according to testimony submitted by the state Department of Transportation, which supports the bill.
From 2014 to 2018 police in Hawaii issued 17,021 tickets to motorists for running red lights, the DOT said.
Q: How many medical cannabis certificates are issued in Hawaii?
A: As of Feb. 28 there were 24,521 valid patient registrations in the Medical Cannabis Registry Program administrated by the state Department of Health. The most common qualifying condition is severe pain, which is reported by about 85 percent of registered patients.
Auwe
Urgent pedestrian safety issue! The crosswalk markings on Date Street by Laau Street (Ewa end) are completely gone due to recent roadwork a week or so ago. The white crosswalk lines must be repainted right away. This crosswalk is heavily used around the clock by nearby residents, including schoolchildren, seniors and bus riders. — P.C.
Mahalo
I am a fifth-grade teacher at Kamiloiki Elementary School, an IB (International Baccalaureate) school. We have just completed our Exhibition event. Exhibition is a yearly event in which fifth-graders find their passion, do research, take action and make a presentation. My students reach out to the community every year, and I am always gratified with the outpouring of support. This year medical professionals were especially helpful. Pediatric neurologist Keith Abe, psychiatrist Thomas Cook and psychologist Coren Kajioka all took time out of their busy schedules to help my students. Psychologist Nicole Wright invited students who were researching video-game addiction to visit her treatment center in Waianae, eat lunch in the cafe and go on a tour of the beautiful walking trails; she treated us like VIPs. Thank you so much to the community for helping to enrich our students’ education. — Leslie Nohara
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