Report a Road Hazard
HBL works with the City and County of Honolulu and the State of Hawaii to keep our roads clean. You can help by reporting road hazards directly to them first.
CITY: Report road hazards on city roads by submitting a request on the Honolulu 311 app with smartphone (link), by calling the City Pothole Hotline 808 -768-7777 or by submitting an email form request (link to form).
STATE: Report road hazards on state highways by calling the 24 hour hotline 808-485-6200 for Kalanianaole, Kahekili, Pali, Likelike, Nimitz, Ala Moana, Vineyard and most of Kamehameha and Farrington Highways (small portions of Kamehameha and Farrington are under City jurisdiction).
If you DON’T get satisfaction directly within a reasonable time from the city please call Chris Sayers (Bicycling Coordinator 527-5044) or from the state please call George Abcede 831-6714. For additional follow up please fill in the form for HBL to follow up with them.
Report a Dangerous Driver/BusTruck Driver
Our friends at the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) are there to help you when in need. Here’s how to ask HPD for help if you encounter a dangerous and ignorant driver.
There is now also an internet database called the Close Call Database that is used to report intentionally dangerous drivers in your area. We encourage you to sign up and take part in making your community a safer place to ride.
If you’re riding safely and legally (see HRS291C-145), taking the lane if required, using correct signalling, and a driver still harrasses you, don’t stress! Follow these steps to stop the danger.
Step 1 Remember the license number
Train yourself to look for and remember the license number. Also helpful: make, model, color; driver’s gender, hair color, size, other identifiers (HPD wants to check if you remembered the license number correctly). Note what time and where the dangerous driving happened. (Tip: If you cannot remember anything else, try to remember at least the 3 letters in the license and make/model of the vehicle. There are less combinations of numbers than there are alphabets.)
If the harassment is serious enough to make you feel unsafe and threatened with harm, move to a safe place and call 911. Ask HPD to issue an alert to police officers to stop this dangerous driver.
Step 2 Engage with HPD
If the dangerous driver was mainly dangerous to you by driving close, honking angrily, speeding past you, or yelling, continue riding safely and predictably. Try not to get mad!
Reach your destination or somewhere you can safely wait for 15-30 minutes and call HPD through 911 (Police non-emergency) or (808) 529-3111. Tell police dispatch:
You want to report a dangerous car/truck/bus driver and would like to report to a police officer.
Tell them the license number, car make, model, color , driver identifiers, time and location you remember.
Give them your name, phone number, and a current location where the officer can meet you.
Step 3 Explain why the driver is dangerous
Once the officer arrives, explain what the driver did that was dangerous and made you feel threatened for your safety. You may be asked to fill out a police report. Request that you’d like the officer to visit or call the driver and explain to them the rights of cyclists and that their driving was dangerous. The officer cannot arrest or cite the driver, because they did not witness the incident, but they can educate the driver. Ask the officer to please call you back and report what happened.
Is this worth your time?
This usually takes me only 15 minutes, and takes the officer 15+ minutes to follow up. The officer will confront the driver, someone who most likely doesn’t know the laws and rights of cyclists. Hopefully, this experience will teach them about how they should act around cyclists.There is also a record that this driver was reported as being dangerous.
What if the officer refuses to contact the driver?
70% of the officers I have contacted have willingly complied with my requests when incidents like this occur. If you encounter one who refuses or disagrees, politely ask for their name and badge number, and ask them to call their supervisor. It’s HPD protocol to stop dangerous drivers! You can also contact the District Captain or chad@hbl.org – I’m happy to follow up on the issue. Here’s the HPD Policy that requires them to a) visit the driver at residence, b) call the driver on phone, or c) send a letter to driver informing them of the law: http://www.honolulupd.org/information/pdfs/604.pdf Refer officer to Policy 6.04 III.B.2.
I’ve made around 40 of these calls since 2010 – that’s 40 motorists HPD educated about cyclists’ rights and they probably told their family and friends! I’ve always had positive return calls from the officers who say that the drivers express surprise, and then apologize for their actions, promising that they now understand the law and won’t do it again.
If all cyclists did this, what would happen? More drivers would be educated! Getting mad and yelling at dangerous drivers may not change their attitudes and driving habits, but educating them with HPD’s backing has shown that it can.
So instead of yelling and getting angry at drivers; try smiling, waving and making friends. You’re not only making your ride more enjoyable, but you’re helping change the attitudes of drivers towards cyclists – one driver at a time.
And the next time you have the chance, thank an HPD officer for the critical work they do to keep us all safe.
Report a Dangerous Bus or Truck Driver
If a professional driver is dangerous it’s best to call their employer so correction is immediate. You could also call HPD, but I’ve had success calling the employer.
- Get License number, vehicle description, Bus route number, time/location, direction of travel. This way employer can determine who was driving.
- For TheBus call 808 848-4500 and talk to or leave message for “Customer Service”. Or go online to http://www.thebus.org/cs/customerservice.asp and click on the customer comment form.
- For other bus or truck driving companies google their address and speak to the President, Manager, or Human Resources. Always ask them to call you back with the result. HBL would be happy to provide an informative talk to their drivers or trainers. By working with Roberts Hawaii in 2011, HBL helped change their driving safety culture to where it is one of the best in Hawaii. Between 2006 and 2010 Roberts Hawaii drivers were involved in one pedestrian or bicyclist fatality per year. Since 2011 through February 2017 no Roberts Driver has killed a pedestrian or cyclist. Companies like Roberts and others want you to report dangerous drivers so they can be counseled, disciplined, or fired, for the good of customers and the business.
- One more thing: it’s a good practice to praise good bus drivers as often as you criticize bus drivers that need correction. Don’t forget to do that also:).
– Chad Taniguchi, Executive Director
