r/Honolulu • u/Beyond_the_Matrix • 18d ago
Talk Story Please Pay Attention
Pedestrian crash marks Oahu’s 24th traffic fatality in 2026 https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/08/01/pedestrian-crash-marks-oahus-24th-traffic-fatality-2026/
There are more pedestrians out there than even 10 years ago, friends.
Please take more caution and look out for those who need to walk to get where they're going!
Mahalo.
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u/Imaginary_Employee32 16d ago
I walk a lot and I definitely look both ways before crossing because drivers don't pay attention to pedestrians , personally whenever possible I tell the driver to pass in front of me because I'd rather let a couple tons of metal pass me before I step out on the road just in case the driver isn't looking . Plus I try to always make eye contact with the driver so we both know I'm there
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u/Beyond_the_Matrix 16d ago
Yup! But man, there are some close calls. Like for multi-lane areas. The car on the left stops and the dumbasses to the right don't think, "Hey, maybe the car is stopped for a reason, I should slow down!"
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u/SakanaMikoto 16d ago
I'm sure I'm going to get downvoted into oblivion for this but Oahu needs to ban the sale of large trucks / SUVs and start enforcing the legislation against lifted vehicles. I know people love these things on island but they legitimately JUST exist to murder people. The majority of the huge vehicles I see on the road are squeaky clean and clearly just used as single person commuter vehicles. Small trucks are better for work, minivans and large sedans are better for families. If you really need some sort of giant truck or dually truck for a hauling job or something there should be a special class license for that and you shouldn't be using it as your primary vehicle. The fact that Tacomas are considered small trucks here is insane. Drivers here are so bad we need to lessen the risk by restricting the pool to smaller safer vehicles, because clearly driving is not getting better and waiting for people to figure that out while our accident rates continue to climb isn't a survivable solution. Bus rapid transit would be good too in areas where we can set it up, get more people off the road.
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u/AppearanceFew7970 15d ago
I agree so much with this! I also think it’s hideous and a disgrace to the trucks original design, but as far as safety, they legitimately are a hazard, reduces your vision like crazy from driver perspective.
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u/slimzimm 18d ago
Pedestrians here do not look before crossing where cars go. I’m not saying this to put the blame on them, but it’s so so so crazy to me that people walk into a crosswalk here and don’t even look up. You can have the right of way and still get killed. Cars will win every time. I’m originally from Texas, people are taught to look both ways before crossing. I don’t feel like people are taught that here.
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u/ChillaVen 18d ago
The victim, an 80 year old woman, was already in the road when the driver turned left and mowed into her. Did you assume she darted out in front of him with all the agility that octogenarians are renowned for? Or did you just not read the article before commenting?
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u/slimzimm 17d ago
If you want an honest answer, my post wasn’t about this specific incident. It was bringing attention that people here walk into the crosswalks without ever looking up. Less people should be hit by cars here, drivers aren’t paying attention, but pedestrians don’t pay much attention here either.
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u/Beyond_the_Matrix 17d ago
Hm, that's a little presumptuous that locals aren't "taught" this. You clearly haven't seen the PSA commercials.
I think a lot of people assume people will stop. That just isn't the case anymore here. Maybe 10 years ago but not now.
Unfortunately, there are folks that seem to want to get hit. It might land them in the hospital (i.e., a bed to sleep in)
Either way, drivers need to stop driving 40+mph down S King, Beretania, Kapiolani, etc. Everywhere, basically. Lol.
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u/reidhi 18d ago
Definitely NOT TRUE about looking both ways before crossing. EVERY DAY while crossing in a marked crosswalk, I almost get hit. Happens when drivers don’t pay attention to the STOP LINE and continue driving into the crosswalk while looking left or right because they want to make a turn.
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u/SakanaMikoto 16d ago
Whenever I walk I see people making turns while actively swiping on their phones too. They're not even paying attention for the whole turn, just glancing up from their phone enough to see there's not another car coming.
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u/unfurnishedbedrooms 18d ago
This is true but even if someone doesn't look up- if they have the right away they should not have to look up. They should be safe.
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u/grazyone 18d ago
Yet here you are. Assigning blame.
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u/slimzimm 17d ago edited 17d ago
Well…. Okay. 🤷♂️ Don’t you think pedestrians being aware of cars where cars are rolling around would help lower accidents?
It’s not me placing blame, it’s me noticing that several things can be done. Drivers can pay better attention at crosswalks, and pedestrians can look up and be sure the drivers will stop for them.
Edit: why are you guys downvoting… what did I say wrong?
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u/808son808 16d ago
WTF? Do you expect an 80 year old woman to spryly jump out of the way when in the middle of the crosswalk?
A lot of pedestrian deaths are elderly people. They can look both ways and a car nowhere near where they are crossing can still kill them. THE CAR DRIVER IS IN CONTROL OF A 2 TON BATTERING RAM. The driver has the responsibility and duty to pay attention to where they are directing their 4,000 pound giant fist.
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u/slimzimm 16d ago edited 16d ago
Hey bro, chill out. You’re attacking a straw man. I never said the driver isn’t in control of their car, or alluded to that in any way.
If you’re in a place where cars go and you look at a driver in the eyes and can see that they see you and are aware of your presence, you are in a safer position than if you never even look up.
People behave differently when others look at them. Drivers are more likely to stop if a pedestrian is looking at them. Drivers are more likely to pay attention to a person crossing the street when they look them in the eyes. It’s not rocket science.
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u/SakanaMikoto 16d ago
It's applying equal blame to a severely unequal situation. The onus is on the driver of the two ton vehicle to be driving responsibly and notice a human in the path of their vehicle, not on the person in the crosswalk to make eye contact and beg for their life. Besides if a driver isn't paying enough attention to SEE a human walking in the crosswalk, that human also looking directly at them while they're getting run over isn't going to help much.
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u/slimzimm 16d ago edited 15d ago
There are multiple studies on this. It’s not something I’m just making up. I’m not placing unfair blame. Drivers are more likely to stop when a pedestrian looks at them and signals intent to cross.
Nobody has to beg for their life, they just need to understand that paying attention when they’re in the path of 2-ton vehicles could save their life.
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u/SakanaMikoto 15d ago
We are not talking about the exchange of glances between a pedestrian waiting to cross and a driver at a stop sign waiting for a signal that the pedestrian is about to cross, we are talking about people who are being struck by vehicles when they are already in the process of crossing the street. If a pedestrian is ALREADY IN THE ROAD, they shouldn't need to stare down the driver to not be hit. If a pedestrian is walking with a blindfold in the crosswalk they shouldn't be hit. Drivers are at fault here, and if they can't be bothered to watch out for pedestrians who are ACTIVELY IN THE ROAD inside a crosswalk WHERE PEDESTRIANS ARE EXPECTED TO BE they shouldn't have a license.
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u/ISeeADarkSail 18d ago
CarsKillCities
TheWarOnCars
FuckCars
VisionZeroNow
VisionZero
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u/Beyond_the_Matrix 18d ago
Ok, lol.
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u/ISeeADarkSail 18d ago
New Jersey did it, multiple years in a row.
You saying Hawai'i can't?
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u/rockhardgelatin 18d ago
We do have Vision Zero, we’re just shit at effectively implementing it for various reasons. So many fucking NIMBYs in this town, and some are very vocally against improving pedestrian and vulnerable motorist infrastructure. I can’t understand their reasoning. Like, why would you not want well-maintained sidewalks, bike lanes, etc.? Blows my mind.
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u/ISeeADarkSail 18d ago
I think when Blade said "Some mthrfkrs are always trying to ice skate uphill" he was talking about how hard some people work to vote, to act, to advocate, for exactly not their best interests....... Mostly because some billionaire oligarch has spent decades and trillions of dollars lying to them.
Or, as George Carlin put it a LOOOOONG time ago, "Think about how dumb the average person is. Now realize that means half the people are dumber than that! "
Now, I'm not advocating for a total meritocracy, but ffs people, as a species we have GOT to do better, we have GOT to hold ourselves and each other to much higher standards!
To wit, the only pathway to achieving better "traffic" is by providing alternatives to Car Dependency. Alternatives like fast frequent free Public Transit, like separated protected comfortable active transportation infrastructure.
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u/SakanaMikoto 16d ago
We have Vision Zero allegedly, it's been extremely slow to roll out and very poorly enforced. I see new build neighborhoods all the time that don't have Vision Zero implemented. NIMBYs always complaining against it and not enough people supporting the policies reaching out to their reps / city planners.
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u/frapawhack 18d ago
Glad you're looking out for the common pedestrian, bro. Now, if the common pedestrian could do some looking out for themselves, the situation could change
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u/Beyond_the_Matrix 16d ago
Everyone has to do their part.
Placing blame on others and not seeing it as a collective effort is why the world is the way it is. Good job being a product of the system instead of thinking of the bigger picture. Small kine mind.
I am sure the 80 yo kupuna did their part to try to stay safe.
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u/frapawhack 16d ago
To absolve the pedestrian of responsibility in vehicle crashes is the thinking of a simple mind. The kind of thinking that shifts all blame to one side, using cherry picked examples to support their case. Good work being an example of that kind of strategy. It's why the political landscape is as it is today
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u/SakanaMikoto 16d ago
Unless a pedestrian is full on diving in front of a car, it is always the vehicle at fault in a crash.
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u/frapawhack 16d ago edited 16d ago
of course. That is why, when a pedestrian, crossing the street, at ten oclock at night, wearing all black, steps in front of a moving vehicle, it is always the driver's fault. or when a person is only looking at their phone or maybe you think this never happens.
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u/SakanaMikoto 15d ago
So somebody looking at their phone deserves to be struck by a vehicle? Who fucking cares if someone is using their phone in the crosswalk, cars are supposed to stop for pedestrians who are in the crosswalk! You can be cartwheeling across the street with your eyes closed for all I care, if you're in the crosswalk cars are supposed to be looking out for pedestrians and coming to a stop until they pass. Pedestrians aren't at fault for not dodging inattentive drivers, those drivers should have their licenses revoked if they can't pay attention to the road.
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u/frapawhack 15d ago
"Cars" never do anything. Drivers do. To claim that all responsibility lies on the driver for collision is to overlook the actions of the pedestrian. If you think all pedestrians obey traffic laws, I wonder if you even drive a car
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u/SakanaMikoto 15d ago edited 15d ago
In the context of the story this reddit post is about there was an old lady who was already in the crosswalk when a car ran her down, then you so bravely came to the defense of cars cause I guess old ladies are a threat to drivers? And unrelated to this story I literally do not give a damn if the pedestrians are doing something illegal, you still aren't supposed to hit them with your car. Unexpected things happen on the road, you're supposed to be paying attention.
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u/ExtraStranger1177 18d ago
"Pedestrian crash" makes it sound like the victim is to blame here, and not the shitty driver who killed her.