Speed Trap

March 31, 2006 | In Transit |

On a recent sunny Sunday, a rare break in this rainy month, we were headed to Poipu to find a beach. However, I got caught in a speed trap on the Koloa bypass road, also called Ala Kinoiki, which kinda ruined our day.

Map source: maps.google.com, annotations by the author. Note that the “Mahaulepu Rd” on this map does not go to Mahaulepu.

The Koloa bypass road has a single 25 mph (40 mk/h) speed limit sign and is perfect for catching unsuspecting speeders. From the north, drivers are lulled by the lack of houses into thinking it is not yet a 25 mph residential zone. From the south, the houses are behind walls and the intersection isn’t very apparent. And the place where the police park their cars to point the radar is hidden by curves from both directions. As in most other places in the United States, the police probably won’t stop you if you are going less than 10 mph (15 km/h) over the speed limit.

However, the fine for going 41 mph in a 25 zone is $137, so I suppose it is very profitable for the police. Looking at the ticket, you can see other fines. For example, it’s a good thing I had all my papers in the car and that the baby was properly attached in her car seat. As you can see, running a stop sign or illegal passing have a lower fine, even though they seem more dangerous to me. But alcohol violations are highly punished, including drinking at a scenic lookout. You’ve been warned:

I probably shouldn’t make a big deal about it, after all, even the Ultimate Kauai Guidebook says to watch out for speed traps on the bypass road. Another speed trap they don’t mention is on the main highway in Wailua, between the old Coco Palms hotel and the Wailua beach. Again, it’s a 25 mph zone with a wide road and no residences, so many people go much faster. It is actually a dangerous area because many people look at the beach or check out the surf but traffic can be stopped because of the lights. I’ve seen several rear-ended cars there.