The numbers have been telling the story of Hawaii’s pedestrian safety record, and it’s an unhappy tale.
So far in 2024, the death toll is outpacing what it was at this time last year. Considering the current emphasis on “Complete Streets,” the design policy aimed at making streets and highways accommodating to pedestrians and cyclists as well as vehicles, that is a distressing outcome.
The islands rank high on a list its residents would rather not see their state figuring in prominently. “Dangerous by Design,” a report put out by the nonprofit Smart Growth America, examines current statistics and trend lines.
Among the states, Hawaii is the 13th most deadly state for pedestrians, calculated by the number of deaths per 100,000 people between 2018 and 2022. Its rate, 2.41 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 population, rose 0.79 since the 2013-2017 study.
Maintaining focus on the issue is crucial. So it’s good to see the city’s timely “Be Safe, Be Seen on Halloween” campaign, with the mayor and police department raising awareness and reinforcing the message that pedestrian safety is a shared responsibility. Drivers are reminded to slow down, pay attention and be extra cautious on roadways as keiki and others are out trick-or-treating tonight, when visibility is low.
Well beyond today, though, city and state officials must take the opportunity to apply Complete Streets principles across various large public works projects. The rail project, with its transit-oriented development guidance, and the redevelopment of the Aloha Stadium district both come to mind.
According to the Smart Growth report, state-owned roads are the deadliest nationally, so state planners play a key role. But the duty to reduce risk also falls to individuals — pedestrians and motorists alike.
In August there was a “Pedestrian Safety Month” campaign, in which free reflective bands and safety lights were given out to the community. Additionally, the state has continued wide-ranging installations of speed humps to slow down speeds.
Despite all that, the number of pedestrians struck in Hawaii roadways continued to increase. That’s not the direction to go, clearly, and the threats to pedestrian safety have prompted calls for policy change.
One especially horrific collision at the intersection of Kapiolani Boulevard and Kamakee Street last year took the life of 16-year-old Sara Yara, a student at nearby McKinley High School. The hit-and-run driver already had 164 traffic citations and a dozen traffic stops for driving without a license. Public outcry drove lawmakers to tighten penalties in such cases.
The dire news did not end there, sadly. A man crossing Ala Moana Boulevard was killed July 12. On Sept. 24, a 70-year-old woman died after being struck on a highway shoulder. On Oct. 11, parking attendant Consorcia Cristobal, 75, was killed by a driver exiting the Kaiser Moanalua Medical Center parking structure — not a place where pedestrians generally feel at risk, but in fact such crashes can happen anywhere. This past Sunday, Teresita Gaoiran, 76, was critically injured in a Waipahu hit-and-run crash and died; a man was later arrested for her death and driving without a license.
Angie Schmitt, an author and transportation expert, was in Honolulu last month for presentations on the pedestrian safety crisis, speaking at events for the media, transit officials and the general public. It’s a national epidemic, she said.
She faulted the tendency to understand the events as “accidents,” rather than ascribing responsibility primarily to drivers.
Schmitt has a point. Assigning blame is often complicated, and both drivers and pedestrians should sharpen their focus on the road ahead. However, it’s true that “accidents” should be seen as episodes that involve some personal responsibility.
As for the state’s part, the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provided states with massive funding for highway improvements. Transportation officials and elected leaders need to ensure that enough of this money goes toward safety for all who use the roads.
