Honolulu Police says that at least half of the deaths from car accidents are due to drivers speeding. Driving over the speed limit is responsible for deaths because drivers are either in heavy traffic, late to a meeting, or flat-out disregard for people, and/or speed limits. In general, the reason some islanders and tourists speed is they’re just driving aggressively say the police.

Why is speeding a problem on the Hawaiian islands?

Because traffic slows down the time you’ll arrive at your destination, drivers exhibit “aggressive behavior” that results in speeding. And speeding is the cause of a large percentage of car crashes in Honolulu. Actually, in car accidents in general whether on the island or mainland.

The Honolulu police list the potential results of speeding: 

1. Greater possibility of losing control of the vehicle
2. The higher the speed, the less effectiveness of seat belts and airbags. 
3. Higher speeds mean longer stopping distances.
4. Higher speeds result in more severe injuries.
5. Speed-related crashes cost those involved and insurance companies more money.

While the Honolulu Police are singling out speed as a threat, the U.S. Department of Transportation says that in both 2021 and 2022, speeding vehicles resulted in one-third of all accidents in the U.S. Obviously, the simple solution is to follow posted speed limits.

How bad are the Hawaiian island accidents?

On the island of Oahu, here are the statistics on traffic fatalities. 

1. 47 traffic fatalities. Of those, 34 of those included critical injuries.
2. 27 involved alcohol or drug intoxication. Of those, 25 involved speeding.
3. 24 of these accidents involved pedestrians. 18 of these accidents involved pedestrians that did not use crosswalks.
4. For motorcycles, 15 involved mopeds, and 27 involved not using helmets. Overall motorcycle accidents were not released. 

In 2021, car fatalities on the small island increased by over 10% from the previous year. In 2021, almost 43,000 people died. That’s the highest spike since 2005. But the NHTSA provided additional statistics. 

What does this mean for tourists?

• Fatalities in multi-vehicle crashes increased by 16% 
• Fatalities on urban roads increased by 16% 
• Fatalities among drivers 65 and older increased by 14% 
• Pedestrian fatalities increased by 13% 
• Fatalities in crashes involving at least one large truck increased by 13% 
• Daytime fatalities increased by 11% 
• Motorcyclist fatalities increased by 9% 
• Bicyclist fatalities increased by 5% 
• Fatalities in speeding-related crashes increased by 5% 
• Fatalities in police-reported, alcohol-involvement crashes increased by 5%

So the bottom line is that both Hawaiian residents and tourists will be under the spotlight plying the roads and highways on all Hawaiian islands. And that means should you be making plans to visit the beautiful islands, you need to be aware of posted speed limits. Broadly, the natives say “Slow down, this isn’t the mainland.” That philosophy of “island time” should help some visitors mellow out. But it should be something all Hawaiian tourists take to heart.