Police remind motorists that right turns should be made from the roadway and not the right shoulder.
Police remind motorists that right turns should be made from the roadway and not the right shoulder.
Puna Patrol Capt. Samuel Jelsma said some drivers incorrectly think it is safer to travel onto the right shoulder before turning, to allow traffic to pass on the left. That practice presents several hazards, Jelsma said, such as:
• Reduced visibility of what is around the corner.
• Reduced visibility for other vehicles attempting to enter the highway from an intersection.
• The potential for a vehicle properly traveling in the traffic lane to execute a right turn and collide with the vehicle traveling on the shoulder.
• Increased risk of collisions with pedestrians and bicyclists.
Jelsma noted that Hawaii Revised Statues 291C-81, which applies to turning, states, “Both the approach for a right turn and a right turn shall be made as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway.” Jelsma said the “edge of the roadway” means the solid white line.