Kokua Line
Kokua Line
The law allows loads
on cars within limitsQuestion: What does the law say about vehicles carrying oversized objects on the roof? I have seen many passenger-type vehicles carrying long kayaks and windsurfers that extend way over the front hood and back trunk without any red flag attached. If an accident occurs, who is responsible?
Answer: According to the statewide traffic code (Hawaii Revised Statutes, Sec. 291-34), the width of a passenger vehicle cannot exceed 9 feet; the height, 14 feet; and the length, 45 feet, including the load, said Lt. Ron Bode of the Honolulu Police Department's Traffic Division.
"So, as long as whatever the vehicle is carrying is securely fastened and doesn't exceed these limits, it's within the law," he said.
The key requirement is that the load be securely fastened or controlled by the driver, he emphasized.
Additionally, the load or "projection" should not obstruct the driver's vision or impair his/her ability to control the equipment, and that the projection beyond the front tires should be at least 7 feet above the roadway surface, Bode said.
Meanwhile, HRS 291-24 specifies that a flag or light must be attached to the load if it extends 4 feet or more beyond the body of the vehicle.
As to who is responsible for an accident, that would probably be something for the courts to decide.
Aloha in New York
Pat Helm, formerly of Hawaii, says she is a volunteer at a hospice in Webster, N.Y., and "was thinking of getting a Hawaiian name for this hospice." She's asking for suggestions, which we'll pass on to her.Instead of calling, please send your suggestions via e-mail (kokualine@starbulletin.com), fax (529-4750), or regular mail (Kokua Line, 500 Ala Moana, 7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813).
Auwe
One day in August, while I was waiting in my car in the parking lot at the downtown post office, a local guy in a beret approached me. He said he wasn't asking for a handout; he was from Guam; and he showed me an official-looking photo ID. He gave me a sad story, then asked for $20 with a promise to repay right away. I had been taken once before by a similar scam at the University of Hawaii and wasn't going to buy into another one. I yelled at him that I wasn't going to be taken again and to get away. He walked off. I don't know if this guy was legitimate, but people should be aware of scammers. -- No NameHonolulu police Detective Letha DeCaires, coordinator of the Honolulu CrimeStoppers, said she heard a similar story about a man with a beret asking for $20 to help buy a plane ticket to go to a family member's funeral. He was clean-cut and appeared to be military with a black beret. Another involved a black woman standing next to a car, saying she needed $25 to $45 to help fix her car. She would show a University of Hawaii ID card, promising to repay the loan. She's never paid anyone back, DeCaires said.
"Those scam artists are out there," she warns, encouraging readers "to use their instincts." But she also added, if you give a "gift, don't ever expect to get anything in return."
Useful phone numbers
Got a question or complaint?
Call 529-4773, fax 529-4750, or write to Kokua Line,
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu 96813. As many as possible will be answered.
E-mail to kokualine@starbulletin.com