
| Little Known Laws Exposed |
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| Written by Brooks Baehr - bbaehr@kgmb9.com | |||
| November 17, 2008 10:35 PM | |||
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Most of us are law abiding citizens. At least we think we are. But there are so many obscure laws it is very possible we violate them from time to time without know we are breaking the law.
"One example is, people having things hanging from their rear view mirror. A lot of people don't realize they can't actually have things hanging from their rear view mirror," said Maj. Clayton Kau of the Honolulu Police Department. It is true. Revised Ordinance of Honolulu 15-19.30 subsection "C" says it is illegal to have an ornament that vibrates, swings, or flutters while hanging from a rear view mirror. anyone who violates this law is subject to a $72 fine. Even handicap placards are prohibited while driving.
"The placard should be placed on the rear view mirror when you enter and park in a handicap stall. And removed when you exit the stall," Maj. Kau explained. Here is a little known state law no one seams to know. When using a crosswalk you must stay to the right. "Purpose of that is because we want you, or the city wants you to get from point A, the sidewalk, to point B, the other sidewalk, as quickly as possible. They don't want pedestrians running into each other," said Capt. Jerry Wojcik of the Honolulu Police Department.
Wonder to the left in a crosswalk and it can cost you $70. Here is a violation that occurs all over Oahu. "It is against the law to park your car on a roadway to advertise it for sale," Kau said. True. Ordinance 15-14.7 makes it illegal to park a vehicle upon any roadway for the principal purpose of selling the vehicle. How about this one? When riding a bicycle on a public street or bike path you need at least one hand on the handle bars at all times. And even with one hand on the handle bars it is illegal to carry any kind of package in the other hand. "And by the way the fine for violating that particular law is $72," said Maj. Kau. Taking your dog to the vet? Better be careful.
"The dog needs to be completely confined within that passenger compartment of the vehicle. Dog can't be on your lap. Dog needs to be seated properly and again ENTIRELY within the vehicle," said Maj. Frank Fujii of the Honolulu Police Department. The fine for your dog hanging its head outside the car ... $57. And how about dogs in the back of pick-up trucks? State law requires them to be properly secured. "In other words the dog would be cross tied and anchored from one side of the truck cross wise to the other side of the truck and the dog would be in between there some where," Maj. Fujii said. According to Hawaii Revised Statue 291-14 people are not allowed in truck beds unless all the seats in the cab are full. And at no time can anyone under 12 be in the back of a truck. Violate these passenger laws and face a possible $62 fine. How about decals on vehicle windows? "Illegal because it's a visual obstruction," Maj. Kau added. You can see them everywhere, but on Oahu most decals on vehicle windows are against the law. A Honolulu ordinance says no stickers larger than four inches by six inches can be on windows and even those must be approved by the chief of police. The list of laws goes on and on. Some seem trivial ... "But the one that really upsets me is failure to use turn signals. And the law is before you make any turn on the roadway, you need to signal 100 feet before your turn. And it irks me when you are behind a car at a red light and the light turns green and then they put on their left turn signal. And it happens all the time," said Capt. Wojcik. And there are more laws you may not know about. Click here for more. |
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| Last Updated ( November 24, 2008 07:10 PM ) | |||
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