At the start of this week (March 1, 2025) The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) went live with its automated speed enforcement capabilities at 10 downtown Honolulu intersections in and effort to improve traffic safety.
The speed cameras are deployed on intersections have been operating red-light enforcement cameras since November 2022, which has resulted in a 69% reduction in major crashes. The expansion to include speed enforcement represents the next phase in HDOT’s data-driven traffic management strategy.
The automated speed enforcement will operate within an existing legislative framework and follow the established best practices, which means it will issue warnings rather than citations during a 60-day education period from March 1 until April 29. After this period, the system will begin issuing citations to registered vehicle owners for exceeding the posted speed limit by more than 5mph.
This deployment represents one of the few comprehensive automated speed enforcement programs in the United States, joining a select group of municipalities utilizing this technology to enhance traffic safety management practices.
“The implementation of automated speed enforcement provides traffic managers with a valuable tool to address one of the most significant risk factors in our transportation network,” says HDOT director Ed Sniffen. “Our crash data analysis indicates that nearly half of traffic fatalities in Hawaii over the past five years are speed-related. This technology allows us to systematically address speeding in high-risk corridors without requiring constant police presence.”
The technology provides both synchronized still images and a 12-second video and requires both preliminary screening at the vendor processing center and a secondary review by authorized local personnel. Citation processing and delivery will be accomplished within 10 days of violation
HDOT has stated that lll revenue generated through the automated enforcement program will be directed to the automated enforcement systems program special fund, which is statutorily restricted to system establishment, implementation, operation, oversight, repair, and maintenance. Unlike some jurisdictions, Hawaii’s automated enforcement contract structure does not incentivize citations, as the vendor compensation is not tied to citation volume.
