HONOLULU — Motorists be warned: the Hawaii Department of Transportation’s last Red-Light Safety Camera is now in operation at the intersection of South King St. and Ward Ave. It’s the last of 10 intersections selected for a two-year pilot program.
The two-year period starts when each RLSC begins issuing citations. Each RLSC issues warnings for 30 days before issuing citations.
Normally a $97 penalty for running a red light in the City and County of Honolulu, the penalty can go up to $200 depending on the severity of the infraction, according to a news release.
Hawaii Revised Statute 291C-32 states the procedures for motorists when approaching or proceeding through a traffic signal when in green, yellow and red status. If a vehicle does not stop at the stop line when approaching a steady red traffic signal, the motorist is in violation of the statute.
According to HDOT, data collected between 2015 and 2020 shows that running through red lights and disregarding traffic signals have caused 1,879 crashes statewide. Twenty-six states do not use an automated traffic enforcement system and Hawaii is one of them.
HDOT warns all Oahu motorists that red-light running will be automatically enforced at the 10 RLSC sites. The public can access the list of locations with more information on the pilot program at the HDOT Red-Light Safety Program website.
Sarah Yamanaka covers events, environmental and community news for Spectrum News Hawaii. She can be reached at sarah.yamanaka@charter.com.