While state legislators focused on financial issues for most of this year's session, hopes also began high for a couple of public safety issues. Unfortunately, steps to discourage dangerous behavior in fireworks use and in drunken driving have fallen short.

The new law allowing counties to approve ordinances controlling or outlawing personal fireworks seems to merely transfer the problem. Indeed, the original bill called for a statewide ban, was changed to allow counties to opt out and finally allowed counties to create bans on their own, replacing statewide control.

However, the county fire chiefs, who have unanimously favored a statewide ban for years, support the “;home rule”; concept, perhaps more confident that they will be able to persuade county councils to limit fireworks to public displays run by professionals.

The bill also authorizes a task force attached to the state Department of Transportation to develop a plan to stop the importation of illegal fireworks, especially aerials that pose a danger to the public, and report back to next year's Legislature.

“;Enhanced enforcement strategies and cooperation between county, state and federal agencies are essential,”; Honolulu Fire Chief Kenneth G. Silva told legislators.

Statewide regulation of fireworks has been a failure, and a cooperative effort to improve enforcement of distribution and use of fireworks is needed.

On the DUI front, Hawaii has been among only a handful of states that have used breath-activated ignition interlock systems since they entered the law-enforcement scene in the 1990s to combat drunken driving. The 2008 Legislature authorized the use to begin this July—but now, a task force reviewing the plan judged the new startup date of next January “;very uncertain, at best”; because of the economic downturn.

The plan would require anyone arrested for drunken driving to have an ignition interlock installed in the driver's car, joining a dozen other states requiring first-time offenders to use the devices. Drivers who register a blood-alcohol level of 0.2 percent—one-fourth of the legal level of intoxication—when breathing into the system are not able to start the car.

Installation is estimated to cost about $75 to $80, and $3.50 a day to pay for monitoring to assure its use. The full amount is to be paid by the driver.

Brennon T. Morioka, the state transportation director, told lawmakers that changes in the program should allow it to begin “;as originally envisioned by the task force in better economic times.”; This is an unfortunate setback for a process aimed at getting dangerous drivers off the road.