Community groups gather for traffic safety event

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Farmers Insurance Hawaii employees, the Honolulu Police Department and a host of community groups rallied at the intersection of South King Street and University Avenue Thursday morning to remind drivers to slow down, avoid distractions and watch out for pedestrians.

Since 2004, the intersection has been the sight of a number of pedestrian accidents, three of which, resulted in fatalities.

"Last year we saw a huge spike in the pedestrian fatalities and it does look like at the midpoint. That our numbers are significantly lower than last year's," said Michele Saito, President of Farmers Insurance Hawaii.

"So I think that's a really good sign. We are all kind of working together to get these fatalities and accidents down."

More than 50 people were on hand for the traffic safety event, which is part of the Farmers Insurance Hot Spots program.

"Paying attention is a critical part of traffic safety, whether you are a driver or a pedestrian," said Saito.  "We want to remind people of the importance of being aware of your surroundings on busy city streets and driving with caution to help keep our streets safer for everyone."

The program, which has been in existence since 2002, identifies dangerous traffic areas across the state and urges drivers to obey traffic laws and watch out for pedestrians.

Schools or community members interested in holding a Hot Spots event in their neighborhood should contact the Farmers Insurance Community Relations Department at 808-544-3988.

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