City council weighs new measures to curb soaring traffic deaths

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - With traffic deaths nearly doubling compared to last year, Honolulu City Council members said Wednesday they are considering every possible tool, from enforcement to new technology, to get drivers to slow down and pay attention.

At a council meeting, interim police Chief Rade Vanic reported that Oʻahu has seen 74 traffic fatalities in 2025, twice as many as this time last year.

He said the Honolulu Police Department has increased enforcement under its “Safer Roads Together: Drive with Aloha” campaign.

“From September to early November, HPD issued nearly 19,000 citations and made more than 330 arrests related to traffic violations. In pedestrian enforcement, we saw over 1,100 citations,” Vanic said.

The city Department of Transportation Services also highlighted recent safety upgrades, including green bike-lane markings, rectangular rapid-flashing beacons, and updated signage.

Council members then turned to enforcement tools, asking how many traffic cameras are currently active and whether additional cameras are needed.

They also questioned the effectiveness of newly installed speed cameras and their ability to capture drivers running red lights.

On the technology side, Transportation Services director Roger Morton said the city is preparing for future traffic systems.

“Over the next five years, we’re replacing every traffic signal controller on the island with future-proof models to accommodate autonomous vehicles,” Morton said. “They’ll allow vehicle-to-traffic safety communication and support other advances.”

Looking ahead, council members also discussed the rise of driverless cars and whether Honolulu is ready for them.

One ongoing concern is the lack of designated drop-off zones for rideshare services like Uber and Lyft, which often leads to unsafe drop-offs in the road.

“Once you introduce companies like Waymo without proper drop-off areas, plus human error and technology that’s still improving, you have a lot of elements that aren’t perfected yet,” said legislative adviser Ryan Naka. “Policies around that don’t fully exist, so it’s something we’re tracking and hoping the council can support.”

Council members stressed that enforcement is important, but accountability ultimately falls on drivers.

“If we need to get out there as police and scare people into driving correctly, fine, we’ll do that because it’s our job,” Vanic said. “But what we’d rather see is people driving with aloha because it’s the right thing to do.”