To cross or not to cross: Group argues against Hawaiʻi’s current jaywalking laws

A new report by the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice argues that the state would be better off without jaywalking laws.

“Generally there hasn't been any good research or data backing showing that there is a strong correlation between jaywalking laws and roadway safety,” said Abbey Seitz, Hawaiʻi Appleseed’s director for transportation equity and the author of the report.

Seitz analyzed thousands of jaywalking citations in the state and found that it issues them at a significantly higher rate than other locations where jaywalking studies have been conducted.

Hawaiʻi issues 349 jaywalking citations per 100,000 people every year, while Washington state issues just six. Jacksonville, Florida, and Sacramento, California, issue closer to 50 citations per 100,000 people annually.

Despite the high number of jaywalking citations in Hawaiʻi, pedestrian fatalities in the state grew by an average of 26 percent every year from 2009 to 2018.