Group Ride and a Lane-Sharing Sedan
Three friends ride motorcycles north on Kamehameha Highway near Kaaawa at 45 mph. The lead rider rides two abreast with the second rider, and the third rider follows in the same lane. Traffic slows near a red light where a sign reads 'NO RIGHT TURN ON RED.' One rider wants to split between the stopped cars to reach the front, another wants to use the paved shoulder to pass, and the third wants to turn right after stopping. A moped rider is on the sidewalk beside them, and a sedan driver is edging into the motorcycle lane to make a right turn. The group must decide what is legal, what is unsafe, and how to share the lane with the sedan.
1. Evaluate the lane splitting, shoulder passing, and two-abreast riding in this scenario.
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Lane splitting between stopped cars is not authorized by Hawaii law and is unsafe here because the gap is narrow and drivers may open doors or change lanes without signaling. Using the paved shoulder to pass is also not legal: the shoulder is not a travel lane, and entering it puts the rider where drivers do not expect a motorcycle. Two motorcycles riding abreast in one lane is generally allowed, but the third rider should not crowd into a three-abreast formation; the group should stagger and keep spacing. The riders should also avoid riding as a rigid pack that blocks a driver's view. The legal lane position is a full lane for the group's use, with each rider maintaining a safe gap and not treating traffic gaps as a separate lane.
2. What does the 'NO RIGHT TURN ON RED' sign require, and how should the third rider handle the right turn?
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The sign prohibits a right turn on red at that intersection, so the third rider must stop and wait for a green signal before turning right, even if the way appears clear. A right turn on red is generally allowed after a full stop unless a sign prohibits it, but this sign removes that permission. The rider should signal the turn, stop behind the limit line, check for pedestrians and cross traffic, and wait. If the rider tries to turn right from the shoulder or from beside another vehicle, the turn can become both illegal and dangerous. The correct judgment is to treat the sign as controlling, not to follow the car ahead if that car turns.
3. How should the group respond to the sedan edging into the motorcycle lane and to the moped on the sidewalk?
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The sedan should not share the motorcycle's lane; a motorcycle is entitled to the lane, and squeezing beside a turning car reduces the rider's escape space. The nearest rider should slow, cover the brakes, and let the sedan complete its turn rather than accelerate into the gap. The riders should not swarm around the sedan or pass on the right, because the driver is likely focused on traffic coming from the left. The moped on the sidewalk is a separate violation: mopeds are not permitted to ride on sidewalks, and the operator should be on the roadway with traffic. The group's best action is to create space, avoid confrontation, and keep the lane predictable rather than trying to enforce the law in traffic.