Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Question: In just one week in November, I compiled a list of 70 cars and their license numbers: 21 with expired registration stickers; 34 with expired safety check stickers; five with both expired; five with registrations and/or safety checks that expired one or more years ago; one with a current safety check, but with tinting that appears to be too dark; two without safety checks; one car without registration and without a safety check; and one with expired registration without a safety check sticker. I've seen even more violations since then, including a new car with a "J" license plate without a registration. If they are delinquent in paying, a finance or penalty charge should be enforced. That way, wouldn't the city director of finance have that much more money in the general fund? These car owners would only be caught if they're speeding or in a car accident, etc. Otherwise this law is not being enforced, and why isn't it being enforced? Delinquent drivers
pay down the roadAnswer: There is a penalty for delinquent registration of vehicles, said Dennis Kamimura, the city's motor vehicle and licensing administrator.
"There also is a penalty if you get caught by police or by parking enforcement people," he said.
It may seem like many drivers flaunt the law, but, police say, they do issue thousands of citations every year, although they don't go out of their way to do so because of higher priority cases.
Kamimura also insisted that delinquent car owners "don't escape" the requirement for safety checks and registrations -- that it catches up with them somewhere down the road.
For example, he said, when you register your vehicle, you will get hit with a renewal penalty, which is the weight tax -- $16 for passenger vehicles and $40 for commercial vehicles -- if you've missed the deadline.
Last year, about $750,000 in late-registration penalties were assessed, Kamimura said.
As for expired safety checks, Kamimura said the only time his office will know about them is when drivers renew their vehicle registrations.
"We will not renew the vehicle, by law, until we have the safety check in hand," he said. "The guy indirectly is penalized because if he comes in the last day, he cannot register (the car) without a safety check."
Then, if he isn't able to register by the deadline, he gets hit with the late penalty, Kamimura said.
A driver may get away without a registration for awhile, he acknowledged. But he insisted most will be caught because, at some time, most will either have to renew registration or will try to sell the vehicle. "So, now, it's buyer beware," he said.
As of Dec. 31, 1998, there were 606,091 cars, trucks motorcycles and trailers registered in Honolulu. "Not that many people are delinquent," Kamimura said, although "if you're looking for them, you see them."
Q: I am thinking of purchasing a stun gun as a "supposedly" safe alternative to firearms as a means of protection. What are the criminal/legal implications of owning and using a stun gun?
A: Although they can be bought in stores on the mainland and through mail-order catalogs, be warned that stun guns are illegal in Hawaii. Use of them here is considered a misdemeanor.
Stun guns resemble electric razors or TV remote controls, with two prongs. They run on nine-volt batteries and can send a 50,000- to 200,000-volt shock, leaving victims paralyzed for up to 15 minutes.
Need help with problems? Call Kokua Line at 525-8686,
fax 525-6711, or write to P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
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