It has become scary to drive in these islands, even on quiet weekends, even on little neighborhood streets and wide open country roads, even when it’s not rush hour.

There were too many deaths on Hawaiʻi roads last year. Something has to be done.

But fixing the problem of 129 traffic deaths in a year should not involve adding another layer of fruitless bureaucracy for law-abiding citizens to have to deal with.

Several lawmakers are currently backing proposals to require licensed drivers to pass a mandatory “rules of the road” written test every time they renew their driver’s licenses. Anybody renewing their driverʻs license is already a person who tries to follow the rules.

A Special Commentary Project

Civil Beat is focusing on transparency, accountability and ethics in government and other institutions. Help us by sending ideas and anecdotes to sunshine@civilbeat.org.

Read More

The strategy to cut down on traffic deaths should focus on bad drivers, not the ones trying to follow the law. Bad drivers are easy to spot. Theyʻre the ones flying down the freeway cutting back and forth between lanes like theyʻre playing a video game and making the rest of us fear for our lives. And a lot of them donʻt have a valid driverʻs license. Or current safety stickers. Or insurance.

Until 1997, Hawaiʻi drivers had to take a written test to renew their licenses. The reason for ending that requirement was that the tests were only increasing lines at the DMV, and there was no evidence that those tests had affected safety.

But here we go again, talking about bringing back something that didn’t work the first time.

Just for fun, letʻs look at some of those pre-license renewal questions from the 1996 Hawaii Driver’s Manual:

YOU SEE CHILDREN PLAYING NEAR THE STREET JUST AHEAD. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

1. Honk your horn to warn them.
2. Drive to the left side of the street.
3. Slow and prepare to stop.
4. Drive close to the right curb.

A DRIVER IS CUTTING IN RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

1. Maintain your speed.
2. Brake hard to slow quickly.
3. Brake gently to slow slightly.
4. Brake hard and steer to the right.

WHEN YOU SEE PEDESTRIANS IN A CROSSWALK AND THERE IS NO STOP SIGN, WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

1. Slow and inch your way through.
2. Stop and let the pedestrians cross.
3. Go ahead and let the pedestrians wait.
4. Stop, and then go ahead into the crosswalk.

These are not tough questions.

And while we’re quoting the 1996 Hawaii Driver’s Manual, let’s marvel at the fact that the cover of that publication is the exact same picture as the 2026 Driver’s Manual, which shows late ’80s/early ’90s model vehicles on a decidedly uncrowded curve of the H-I heading west near the Kapiolani Boulevard off-ramp, which looks nothing like a typical day on that stretch of freeway in 2026. Inside, the book hasn’t changed much except for the deletion of the driver’s license renewal test questions.

Ooh, way to keep it relevant, folks.

But most of all, itʻs not ignorance of the law that causes people to drive crazy, crash and endanger other drivers. Itʻs the thrill of flouting the rules and the emboldened pursuit of lawlessness.

It is also the obvious fact that the jerks never get caught, and if they do, they keep driving with or without their licenses with a mountain of fines growing behind them.

Instead of making everyone take an outdated paper-and-pencil test, how about stopping guys like Mitchel Miyashiro, the man accused of killing McKinley High School student, Sara Yara, 16, while she was in a crosswalk walking to school? That was in February 2023. The case has not yet gone to trial, but even so, there are some important facts that have been established: Miyashiro did not have a license at the time of the accident, and he had a record of 164 traffic citations and nine convictions for driving without a license.

Meanwhile, in California, an effort was launched last year to target drivers that clearly don’t give a rip about safety and speed limits. The California Highway Patrol and DMV sent out a squad in 100 vehicles that were not exactly unmarked but described as “low profile.” This team went after super speeders going over 100 miles per hour and didn’t bother with drivers going 60 in a 55mph zone.

From May 2025 until the end of the year, the program issued 33,000 citations statewide. More than 1,100 were for speeds greater than 100 mph. The program, called Forwarded Actions for Speeding Tickets, automatically refers these law breakers to the DMV, which reviews the incident and driver’s record to determine whether immediate action – such as suspending or revoking the driver’s license – is warranted. The DMV decision is independent of any judicial action or conviction.

Of course, revoking a driver’s license has no consequence for those truly dedicated to breaking the law.

When a driver is careening through cars on the H-1, driving like they’re playing a video game and not on a real road endangering other humans, what can you do to protect yourself?

1. Take a written quiz before renewing your license.
2. Rely on the police department to catch the speeder.
3. Call your neighborhood elected officials.
4. Take cellphone video, post it to social media, and make the cops and politicians ashamed.

In 2026, sadly, the correct answer seems to be 4.