STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1223-24

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2024

RE: S.B. No. 2735

S.D. 1

H.D. 1

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, to which was referred S.B. No. 2735, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO DRIVER LICENSING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to require:

(1) The Examiner of Drivers to test applicants for driver's licenses on the applicant's knowledge of the dangers posed by larger motor vehicles, including trucks and sport utility vehicles, to pedestrians and bicyclists; and

(2) Persons who commit the offense of excessive speeding or habitually operating a vehicle under the influence of an intoxicant to retake and pass a driver's license examination for each offense.

Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Transportation and Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Your Committee finds that so far in 2024, over a third of traffic fatalities in the State involved a pedestrian. While the total number of traffic fatalities has decreased since 2023, the number of traffic fatalities involving a pedestrian has increased. Your Committee believes that providing educational opportunities to make drivers-in-training aware of the dangers larger motor vehicles pose to pedestrians and bicyclists, as done by this measure, will assist in reducing traffic fatalities to zero by 2050.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Changing the effective date to July 1, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

(2) Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2735, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2735, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation,

____________________________

CHRIS TODD, Chair