As most of you know, a week ago a little girl lost her life on the highway in Honaunau. It was a tragedy that deeply affected most of us as the loss of a child is hard to bear. We didn’t know her or the family, but nevertheless it was heartbreaking. Our sympathy goes out to the family and friends, and even to the driver, who now has to try to come to terms with this for the rest of his life.
Living near where the accident occurred, my husband and I have been continually amazed at the flagrant disregard for the posted speed limits. The speed limit drops from 45 mph to 35 mph through Honaunau, including the section by the school, unless there are children present and then it is 25 mph. These speed limits are rarely observed. Driving the speed limit, you will very often find yourself tailgated or even passed in a non-pass section of the road. This disregard of speed limits extends most of the way to Ocean View, where the speed limit is often 35 mph. This is through residential areas, the Hookena school area and sections where children walk and ride bikes.
There has been more than one instance since we have lived here where a driver loses control of the car, killing the driver and possibly someone else who is innocently involved. Unfortunately, it has taken the life of a child to make us all stop for a moment and think about what a responsibility it is to get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. Drivers have been slowing down through Honaunau this past week. We know this is temporary. People forget.
There are things that can be done to help ensure that a tragedy like this does not happen again. There should be better signs and possibly a flashing light by the school when kids are arriving or leaving. I believe that there is one in front of the Hookena Elementary School. Could there be a crossing guard? Could there be solar speed limit displays that remind drivers how fast they are going? Could the police department issue more speeding tickets? We appreciate the great job that our police department does and know that their resources are limited and probably underfunded, but could there be a few more traffic citations given?
Drivers see this and it can also serve as a reminder. We are all at fault. We have all gone a little too fast, been in too much of a hurry, been too unaware of what’s around us, forgetting that children, animals, passengers, innocent people in other cars are all vulnerable to our potentially lethal mistakes. It’s up to us, the police department and Hawaii County to not forget the life of a little girl who was so senselessly taken.
Kathy Brinton is a resident of Captain Cook