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Police plead for
more seat-belt use

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By Leila Fujimori
and Rosemarie Bernardo
Star-Bulletin

The Honolulu Police Department will continue its islandwide seat-belt checkpoints, but not to instill fear of citations.

"They should be more afraid of what could happen to their children or them if they don't use seat belts," said Capt. Bryan Wauke, a 20-year veteran of the Traffic Division.

People who don't use seat belts can get thrown around inside the vehicle or thrown out of the vehicle and injured or killed, while those who do use belts are more likely to survive.

Wauke said 73 percent of Oahu traffic deaths last year involved victims who were not wearing their seat belts. "We see the bodies ... we have to deal with the families," he said.

After seeing an accident where a belted driver came out unscathed and his unbuckled passenger was partially ejected and died, Wauke became a believer and has worn his seat belt ever since.

Seat-belt checkpoints are a new way to enforce compliance with the seat-belt and child safety-seat laws, said Sgt. Clyde Yamashiro of the Traffic Division.

Between 9 and 11 a.m. yesterday, at Moanalua Road and Kaonohi Street, police ticketed 33 drivers for seat-belt, child-restraint and other violations. Not wearing a seat belt brings a $67 fine.

Many drivers not wearing their seat belts told police they were safe drivers, or that they were only on short drives. Both are common misconceptions, Wauke said. No matter how careful you are, you can't prevent others from crashing into your vehicle -- and most collisions occur close to home, he said.

Other checkpoints earlier this week nabbed dozens of violators in just a few hours at any given intersection.

At Piikoi and Beretania streets Tuesday, police issued 27 tickets related to seat belts and child-safety violations. On Wednesday, 30 people were cited.

On Thursday, 47 citations were issued at the Moanalua and Kaonohi intersection.

"There are still a lot of children not in baby seats, booster seats or harnesses," Yamashiro said.

The law that backseat passengers under 18 must wear seat belts has been in force since June. State law requires drivers and front-seat passengers to wear seat belts. Children under 4 already were required to sit in child safety seats.

Yamashiro emphasized it only takes a few seconds to buckle up a child or yourself.

"After an accident happens, it's too late."