Advocates urge safety on roadways amid ‘deadliest days of summer’

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Summertime includes graduations, long holiday weekends, and the Fourth of July, as well as a higher risk of dangerous drivers.

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Law enforcement officials call the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day the “100 deadliest days of summer.”

“Just the different holidays, which, indicative of drinking and celebrations, traffic crashes and fatalities escalate more than they really need to if people would just make the right decisions and don’t drink and drive and get impaired behind the wheel,“ retired Maui police traffic commander Lt. William Hankins explained.

A day before the start of the dangerous season, Hankins and other traffic safety advocates implored the public to celebrate safely.

“Don’t drive impaired, put the phone down, pay attention, and everybody drive safely,” Lee Chamberlain of the Maui Bicycling League urged.

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The group held a Ride of Silence on Saturday to remember seven cyclists who lost their lives on Maui roadways in recent years.

“All those fatalities could have been prevented,” Chamberlain said, while also reminding drivers of the “3-Foot Law,” which mandates the distance drivers must keep between them and cyclists when overtaking.

Chamberlain added, “Please abide by that. Remember that cyclists are not only people on the road who are riding cycles, but they also are family members.”

Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen shared remarks at the remembrance ride.

“One life is too many to lose,” Bissen said. “The important thing for us is to raise awareness of people’s attentiveness and their responsibility to literally share the road.”

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