Officials in the Hawaii Tourism Authority say the concern is growing about the saturation of vehicles on certain roads to popular destinations along the North Shore. Their records indicate that five million visitors came to Oahu in 2016. Many of the visitors travel to hot spots on the North Shore such as Laniakea Beach, where the failure to upgrade local roads causes significant threats of auto accidents.
Local business people say the lack of legal parking is a major problem. It causes motorists to park illegally on road shoulders that are not wide enough to accommodate parked vehicles, often sitting on the edge of a steep drop to the beach. A car falling over the edge onto the beach covered with people will not be the first — it has happened before.
Further anguish is caused by the fact that there are no marked crosswalks, leading to haphazard jaywalking across the very busy Kamehameha Highway. Reportedly, lifeguards from the beach often enforce patrol of the highway to get visitors safely to and from the beach. This often disrupts traffic and creates ideal circumstances for road rage and other problems that may be detrimental to the safety of motorists and pedestrians.
Due to the dangerous conditions along the roads leading to the North Shore, auto accidents are frequent occurrences — often leaving people with catastrophic injuries or worse. Visitors to Hawaii may be overwhelmed under such circumstances, but they may find comfort in knowing that an experienced personal injury attorney can pursue recovery of damages on their behalves. A lawyer can take over and navigate the entire legal process while also dealing with insurance companies.
Source: hawaiinewsnow.com, “North Shore residents: Traffic congestion putting drivers, pedestrians at risk“, Accessed on Aug. 18, 2017
