Timed No-Turn-on-Red Sign at a Honolulu Slip Lane
At 7:35 a.m. on a Tuesday, you are southbound on Piikoi Street in Honolulu, approaching the intersection with King Street. You are in the rightmost lane, which has a dedicated right-turn slip lane separated by a raised island. Your destination is a parcel pickup on King Street just east of the intersection. The traffic signal for your lane is a red ball; there is no green arrow. As you enter the slip lane, you pass a white regulatory sign reading RIGHT TURN ON RED PERMITTED AFTER STOP. At the nose of the island, a second white sign reads NO TURN ON RED, and a smaller plaque below it reads 7 AM–9 AM MON–FRI. It is 7:35 a.m. A pedestrian is waiting on the corner but has not stepped into the crosswalk. A vehicle behind you taps its horn. You must decide whether to stop and turn, wait for green, or proceed without stopping.
1. Which sign controls your right turn at 7:35 a.m., and what must you do?
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The controlling sign is the one at the actual turning point: NO TURN ON RED with the 7 AM–9 AM MON–FRI plaque. Regulatory signs are read together, and a later, more specific restriction overrides an earlier general permission. The phrase RIGHT TURN ON RED PERMITTED AFTER STOP establishes the default rule in Hawaii-right on red is allowed after a full stop unless a sign prohibits it-but it does not cancel the timed prohibition. At 7:35 a.m. on a Tuesday, the prohibition is active. The pedestrian waiting on the corner does not create permission; the sign forbids the turn regardless. You must stop at the limit line and wait for a green signal, or a green arrow if one appears. Do not creep into the crosswalk or turn because the driver behind honks. If an officer directs you to turn, that is a separate lawful direction.
2. At 9:15 a.m., does the analysis change? Explain step by step.
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Yes. At 9:15 a.m. the time plaque is no longer active, so the NO TURN ON RED restriction does not apply. The earlier sign-RIGHT TURN ON RED PERMITTED AFTER STOP-then states the rule. Step 1: come to a complete stop at the limit line before the crosswalk. Step 2: yield to pedestrians in the crosswalk and to any vehicle or bicycle that has the right of way. A pedestrian waiting on the corner is not automatically in the crosswalk, but Hawaii law still requires reasonable care; if they step off the curb, you must yield. Step 3: check for traffic on King Street, including bicycles, before turning. Step 4: turn only when clear. If a green arrow appears, it gives a protected turn, but you still must avoid collisions. The key is that permission is conditional: stop, yield, then turn.
3. A police officer waves you through the red light at 7:40 a.m. while the NO TURN sign is displayed. What do you do?
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A police officer's lawful direction overrides the sign and the signal. At 7:40 a.m. the sign prohibits the turn, but the officer is physically controlling the intersection and presumably has a reason-perhaps to clear a blockage or let traffic proceed around an incident. You should follow the officer's gesture, but proceed slowly and cautiously: make eye contact, confirm the direction, check for pedestrians and cross traffic, and turn only where the officer indicates. Do not assume the officer's wave cancels all hazards. If the gesture is ambiguous, stop and ask or wait. You should not ignore the officer because the sign says no; nor should you turn aggressively. The officer's direction is temporary and specific, while the sign is a default rule.