There is a law in Maui County, Hawaii stating that children may play on busy highways! You, like me, may be thinking this was a typo. However, you read this correctly, children CAN play ON highways. As long as they meet the age requirement children can in fact play on public highways. What?!?!
I personally see this as dangerous, but apparently someone in Hawaii doesn’t agree. According to Hawaii law, In Maui County, Hawaii children must be twelve years old to play on a busy highway. So theoretically as soon as you are twelve years old it is perfectly legal to frolic through even rush hour traffic. For some strange reason, I oppose this law. It could be that playing on highways will result in accidents, death, etc. Call me crazy, but this seems pretty dangerous and stupid.
The official version of this law states “It is unlawful for any child UNDER the age of twelve years to play or loiter upon that portion of the public highway used for vehicular traffic in any congested district in the county (aka. busy highways).” What is the punishment for children under twelve that do so you may ask? Nothing. No child endangerment, no parental fines, nothing at all is done. The rest of the law goes on to state, “and any child so found loitering or playing upon such portion of the highway may be taken into custody by any police officer of the probation officer for the county and DETAINED until the parent, guardian, or person having custody, control, or supervision of the child calls for the child.”
So in other words, apparently the worst that can happen is for a parent to not realize their child is gone and never call to have them released/go pick them up. And that’s it. Who ever knew Hawaii was so dangerous?!?!?!
Maybe it was common in Hawaii many years ago for children to play in the streets, and the government thought it unsafe for children under 12 to do so? That's the only valid reasoning I can see behind this strange law. You'd think the Hawaiian kids would rather play on the beach.. if I lived in Hawaii that's what I'd be doing.
ReplyDeleteDo the kids in Hawaii have no where else to play? I agree that this law actually endangers a child's well-being because playing around cars driving over 50 mph is NOT safe. I can't really see allowing any child to play in any busy street, let alone a highway!
ReplyDeleteWe could be misconstruing this law, maybe it was intended to bring parent's attention to the fact that they're kids we're playing on highways when they shouldn't. In some places, I'm not totally sure about the states, at age 13 you're liable to much harsher punishments. At age 12, I think it's scary enough to be picked up by a police officer and it's unfair to punish the parents because there is so much beyond their control. Plus, I have no idea how busy a Hawaiian highway gets.
ReplyDeleteIt's Hawaii, who cares? They have to make up that law so that people think they have highways. If I had a child, I'd take him to Hawaii as soon as he turned 12...
ReplyDeleteI find it funny that while living in Hawaii with the best beaches, the kids have to resort to having to play on highways. I know if I was living in Hawaii, the last place you'd find me hanging out with a bunch of other kids is the highway and I'd be at the beach.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite ridiculous Hawaii road fact is that they have Interstate freeways. Interstates.
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