Department of Transportation

HONOLULU – The Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation (HDOT) and its federal, state, county and community partners remind Hawaiʻi motorists to move over or slow down when approaching emergency vehicles during Crash Responder Safety Week, Nov. 13 to 17.

Traffic incidents are the number one cause of death for emergency responders nationwide. Hawaiʻi’s most recent incident was on Feb. 19, 2023, when a 25-year-old motorist pinned a police officer responding to an earlier crash, between two vehicles.

Under Hawaiʻi’s Move Over Law, a driver who injures or kills a person at the site of a roadside emergency may be charged with negligent homicide or negligent injury. The full text of the law can be found here.

“We’re asking everyone to be mindful when you drive, especially if you see flashing lights,” said Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen. “Slowing down and moving over is a small price to pay to help our roadside heroes.”

The Move Over law helps to protect everyone on the road. This includes emergency vehicles, tow trucks, City and County vehicles and State vehicles.

More information on National Crash Responder Safety Week can be found at https://transportationops.org/TIM/CRSW . HDOT also shares this video PSA from the Freeway Service Patrol,  https://youtu.be/Z3h0UTvGA5Q and the Governor’s Proclamation for Crash Responder’s Safety Week which can be viewed here, https://hidot.hawaii.gov/highways/files/2023/11/Proclamation.pdf.

 

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