Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) urges you to establish an intelligent speed assistance device (ISA) program.
Vote YES on House Bill (HB) 2023!
The Issue:
- Speeding is a major contributor to crashes in Hawaii. In 2024, speeding was a factor in 42 percent of fatal crashes in the state, much higher than the national average of 29 percent, and resulted in 43 tragic deaths.
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates there were 129 traffic fatalities in Hawaii in 2025 which is a 27 percent increase from 2024.
- Traffic fatalities in the state increased 40 percent for pedestrians and 250 percent for bicyclists/other cyclists from 2015 to 2024.
- Traffic crashes cause $580 million of economic damage to Hawaii annually which is equivalent to a “crash tax” of $410 per resident, according to a 2019 analysis. When updated for inflation alone, in 2026, costs would equate to $749 million.
An Effective Solution: Enact an ISA Law
- Active ISA is technology that can identify the speed limit in real time and limit the speed of vehicles exceeding the specified threshold. ISA is urgently needed because excess speed contributes to both the frequency and severity of motor vehicle crashes and proves especially dangerous for vulnerable road users (VRUs) such as pedestrians, bicyclists, construction crews and roadside first responders who lack the protective structure of a vehicle.
- A recent study on an ISA pilot program for city fleet vehicles in New York City showed ISA produced a 64 percent reduction in overall time spent speeding (more than 11 miles per hour [mph] over limit), including an 82 percent reduction in time spent speeding on higher-speed roads (50 mph).
- Small increases in speed cause serious declines in safety. The average risk of death for a pedestrian is 10 percent at an impact speed of 23 mph, 25 percent at 32 mph, and 50 percent at 42 mph.
- Vehicle occupants are also at risk as crash tests have shown that modest five to 10 mph increases in speed can have a severe impact on a driver’s risk of injury or death.
- VRUs are particularly at risk in Hawaii as 41 percent of those killed in traffic crashes in 2024 were a pedestrian, bicyclist or other cyclist, which is nearly double the national average of 21 percent.
- A recent poll commissioned by Advocates found that 72 percent of respondents support ISA “super speeder” laws such as HB 2023; among those with a stated position, 89 percent expressed support.
- Washington and Virginia enacted ISA programs in 2025, following the District of Columbia doing so in 2024, and many states are considering ISA legislation, including Maryland which passed ISA earlier this week. Hawaii can become a leader in this emerging safety trend and save lives by enacting HB 2023.
HB 2023 Will Protect Hawaii Residents and Visitors and Keep Families Whole— Vote YES!