Bad drivers beware.

State transportation officials want to revive the use of cameras that snap pictures of cars that are midway through an intersection when the light is red.

And that’s just the first of five proposals from state transportation officials to clamp down on bad driving.

Also to go before lawmakers next week:

Requiring moped and motor scooter riders to wear a helmet.

Fining commercial drivers found to have even trace amounts of alcohol in their blood.

Expanding the definitions of reckless driving laws for first-timers and repeat offenders.

And banning cell phones, even hands-free devices, for teenage drivers.

“We need to change driver behavior to provide for safer roads,” said Brennon Morioka, state Department of Transportation director, during a news conference yesterday to announce the proposals. “These measures are meant to work in concert with each other. There is no one silver bullet to provide safety on our roads.”

The numbers show that the state has a lot of work to do, Morioka said. Hawai’i leads the nation with the highest number of alcohol-related traffic fatalities, is third highest in the nation for motorcycle fatalities and fourth for pedestrian fatalities. Judging by the first five days of the year, 2009 hasn’t been any better. There are five fatalities so far: They include a cyclist, and three that occurred separately on New Year’s Day.

On the Big Island, traffic deaths have caused concerns, said Dr. Sharon Vitousek, director of the North Hawai’i Outcomes Project, a grassroots organization targeting traffic safety.

“The problem is there are too many people dying each year from traffic crashes,” Vitousek said. “Many are preventable. It’s a matter of changing behavior and making policy changes.”

On average, there are 140 traffic fatalities a year in Hawai’i. The goal is to get the numbers down to 100 and that’s still too high, Morioka said.

“We have the ability to change this,” said Gov. Linda Lingle. “The need for collaboration has never been greater in our state, not just politicians, but the community, to make life better and safer. As these proposals show you, you don’t need a lot of money to make changes. They’re just changes in policy.”

So-called “van cams,” roving vans equipped with cameras intended to catch drivers running red lights, were approved by the Legislature in 2001 but later repealed in the wake of public outcry. A similar concept that would have given counties the authority to use red-light cameras resurfaced in 2005 and won state House approval, but was killed in the Senate.

Sen. J. Kalani English, D-16th (E. Maui, Moloka’i, Lana’i), said he doesn’t advocate red-light cameras, but will give the proposal a chance. The measure would give the counties the revenue from fines collected from drivers caught midway through an intersection when the light is red. Fines would run from $90 to $200.

“The Senate has always said no to the bill,” English said. “I put the idea before our (Democratic) caucus and it went from absolute no to hmmm. So we’ve made a lot of progress.”

Morioka said 21 other states have some form of law allowing snapshots of driving scofflaws.

“It’s intended to save lives,” Morioka said. “These bills are meant to shape some of the decisions that our drivers are making on our roads.”

As for the outright ban on cell phones and other devices that could distract new, young drivers, 2001-05 statistics show 7 percent of vehicle crashes involved drivers 15 to 17 years old.

The ban would include cell phones, video games, portable DVD players and text messaging, as well as eating, drinking or grooming while driving. Offenders would have their license suspended for three to six months.

English says the measure would be the first step toward an outright ban for all drivers, the theory being children will follow the law and force their parents to follow suit. At the same time, the Hono- lulu City Council is considering a ban on text messaging while driving for all motorists.

“These are the people (teen- agers) who are supposed to be learning how to drive and don’t need any distraction,” Morioka said.

For moped and motor scooter riders, a helmet would be required under the state’s traffic safety package. Motorcyclists are exempt from the measure.

“It’s another bill that will be very controversial,” Morioka said. “We’re targeting mopeds and motorscooters because they’re smaller and less powerful in terms of maneuvering than motorcycles and usually less experienced drivers operate them.”

Reckless drivers who speed excessively, weave in and out of traffic and drive while drowsy are being targeted with a measure that would fine violators up to $1,000 and could include up to 30 days in prison, depending on the number of offenses.

“Aggressive and reckless driving has been the main components of many of our accidents,” Morioka said.

Also under consideration is a measure that would significantly lower the legal limit of alcohol for drivers using a commercial driver’s license. Even trace amounts of more than 0.01 percent would be subject to a fine of up to $200 and those found with a blood alcohol level of 0.04 percent would be subject to a $500 fine. The legal limit for all drivers is 0.08 percent blood alcohol.

“The measures are part of a larger plan,” Morioka said. “The bills are meant to protect. All of our partners have reviewed all of our bills. Motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians will benefit from each one of these.”

SOURCE: HONOLULU ADVERTISER

The vibe was casual, as jeans, leather jackets, beards and tattoos set the scene in the massive Jacob K. Javits Convention Center last Friday, as riders mingled with industry reps for the 28th annual Cycle World International Motorcycle Show. Sponsored by Toyota, the show visits 13 cities across the U.S., and features the latest in on and off-road motorcycles, scooters and ATVs, from most major manufacturers.

Unlike flashy, over-the-top auto shows I’ve covered, the bike show was decidedly low-key, both in terms of attitudes and presentation. There were no multi-story faux rock outcroppings for SUVs to scale, or multi-million dollar displays with lights, sounds and moving parts. Even the babes on hand to hype various brands seemed a little less fake than the “actors” at other trade shows.

I didn’t quite fit in among the bike enthusiasts and motor journalists — a bike fanatic friend in college gave up teaching me how to ride his crotch rocket when I dropped it in the parking lot one too many times — but I know a thing or two about green transportation. I missed the world debut of the Vectrix Vx-1E electric urban commuting model (I had transportation problems of my own getting to Javits), and I didn’t see the BMX stunt show, either.

But I did spend some time learning about the latest offerings from Vespa, a brand long admired by my Bohemian neighbors in Greenwich Village. Some 17 million Vespa scooters have been made since 1946 by the 7,000-employee Italian company Piaggio Group. If you didn’t know, Vespa means “wasp” in Italian.

Kevin Andrews, Vespa America’s brand manager, told me that sales of the iconic, classic scooters exploded last summer, on the heels of record high gas prices. “We sold everything we had,” Andrews said. In the last quarter of 2008 sales were flat versus 2007.

“Some people look at [a Vespa] as an economic purchase, and others look at it as a luxury purchase,” said Andrews. “A Vespa can’t totally replace a car, but it can replace a lot of car miles.” Andrews added that the company has been steadily adding dealers in the U.S., despite the economic downturn, and that the customer base keeps broadening.

Andrews stressed that all Vespas sold in America since 2001 have come with four-stroke engines, which burn much cleaner than the two-stroke engines still used by many scooters around the world. Plus, up to 7 Vespas can fit neatly into one full-size car parking space — something that can go a long way to helping reduce sprawl and congestion. In fact, in some towns commuters have to endure extremely long waiting lists to even be eligible for a parking space at the local train or bus station, and even then the expense can be considerable.

As population continues its march upwards, we need to find more ways to get people out of their cars, and clean, efficient scooters can be part of the solution.

At Cycle World, Vespa announced the launch of the new 2009 Vespa S 50 and the GTS 300 Super. With an MSRP of $3,199, the S 50 offers better power and handling than other 50cc scooters, according to the manufacturer, due to engineering advances that reduced weight and improved performance. The S 50 can do about 4 horsepower and a max speed of 39 mph, with a reported 70 to 80 mpg. It comes in red, black, orange and Montebianco.

If you want more power and cargo capacity, the 278cc GTS 300 might be for you (MSRP $6,199). This scooter can hit 80 mph, and gets fuel economy in the neighborhood of 70 mpg (at least according to one reviewer). It comes in black or white.

The CEO of Piaggio Group America, Paolo Timoni, told journalists at the show that the scooter market is bigger than the motorcycle market in Europe — which is reversed in America, a land of daredevils and lovers of wide open road. “Americans spend $1.5 trillion a year to get around,” said Timoni. “It costs Americans $650-850 a month to own and operate a car, not including parking. It costs only $150-180 a month for a scooter. A lot of people are going to look at this and think it’s a good idea.”

Timoni added that in December 2009 or January 2010, Vespa will be releasing a hybrid scooter. “It will have the latest technology, but it will be expensive,” he said, with a price premium of two to three thousand dollars. “With a hybrid scooter a user might use about $3 a week in gas, instead of $8 a week,” added Timoni.

Timoni said his company has considered purely electric scooters, but that they haven’t been satisfied with the quality of batteries currently available, and the resultant range. “For many people, it’s a psychological thing [having a reduced range],” Timoni said. He pointed out that even though studies show 90% of people primarily use their vehicles for short commutes, they are still uncomfortable buying something that can’t go hundreds of miles without a refill/recharge.

There’s no denying that Vespas are hot, or that the design is enduring, like the original Jeep, Pez dispensers, Coca-Cola or the Gibson guitar. Like many iconic items, Vespa scooters can retain good resale value. And as Andrews points out, “With the all-steel chassis, Vespas can last a really long time.” That’s good for the environment.

Scooters aren’t necessarily for everyone, but they can be part of the transportation mix that helps us use less gas and reduce congestion.

SOURCE: THE DAILY GREEN.COM

A fleet of mods on scooters turned out in force for the funeral of a Workington friend yesterday.

The procession was a tribute to Geoffrey Lumsden, 48, of Newlands Lane South, Moorclose, who died at his home on January 9.

The procession started outside his Moorclose house with 20 friends gathering outside and 10 scooters following the cortege. A service was held at Distington Hall.

Tom Mattiar said: “I knew him for 30 years. He was one of the first guys to start off a scooter club for the area.

“He was the founder of the West Cumbria Scooter Club in 1979. That is how we met.

“We were riding scooters in opposite directions and got talking about setting up the club. He was a much-loved guy. He had a lot of time for people. He was a big Workington Reds fan.

“He absolutely loved the team. He also loved ska and soul music.

“We wanted to do this as a mark of respect because he loved scooters so much.”

He was the son of the late Cyril and Edith Lumsden, a brother of Elaine and Mark, brother-in-law to Mark and Carol and uncle of Katherine, John, Sam, Helen and David. Donations were made to Cancer Research.

SOURCE: NEWS & STAR UK