HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Hawaii Department of Transportation and the Honolulu Police Department are cracking down on speeding. Their latest efforts include adding rumble strips to an area known for reckless driving.
Exit 6A from Fort Weaver Road to Farrington Hwy in Ewa is notorious for speeding according to Major James Slayter with the HPD’s traffic division.
“Basically, people thinking that that’s a little bit of an amusement park area where they can drive recklessly, high speeds doing tricks stunts, but not realizing that they’re putting the community in danger,” Slayter explained.
According the Slayter, there have been at least 10 accidents in this area since 2024. One of the most recent happening in February involving a motorcycle and a police vehicle.
“For that collision, an officer was in the area for something unrelated, was doing an investigation. He had been parked in that area, and then a motorcycle came flying around that turn, unable to stop in time, and there is a collision,” Councilmember Augit Tulba explained. “A lot of it is for social media likes, the thrill in doing it. That morning there were not a lot of cars on the road. But at the same time, should we take those risks just so that we can get likes?”
Tulba said the recent accident was the last straw.
“It became a hazardous thing and the police department called and said, ‘Hey, can we request some speed tables or rumble strips to get the cars to slow down or even the bike riders,’” he explained.
DOT confirmed that they are planning to add rumble strips along Exit 6A in Ewa by the end of the month to try to slow drivers down.
“We worked with Director Sniffin for years, and he, along with his engineers there, they don’t do things arbitrarily,” Slayter said. “They’re out there, putting a lot of thought into it.”
While rumble strips may solve the problem in that spot, Slayter said HPD knows speeding is a much larger problem. So HPD is continuing their racing operations to address it.
According to Slayter, arrests for racing violations have increased 33% and reckless driving arrests have increased 79% compared to the same time last year.
“The additional arrests, we’re hoping, is sending a stern warning to the community that you know this is an unacceptable behavior,” Slayter explained.
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“There are laws,” Tulba added. “Laws are made so that you and I can coexist. So just follow the law and drive, which is supposed to be driving, with what it says on the sign so that we don’t have to do things like this.”