Students are rushing to get their permits or licenses, but is the rush worth the risk on the road? The next step after entering high school is learning how to drive. Driving is a necessity for adults. However, not knowing the consequences when bending the rules impacts the student body by increasing the fear of going on the road. Motor vehicle accidents have almost doubled this year. Most of the accidents are caused by motorcycles and cars driving recklessly, and students are going to be on those roads in a couple of years. With this fear on the road, students are avoiding driving because of a fear of getting into an accident, especially getting into an accident with motorcycles due to the higher risk of death.
Here on O‘ahu, about 60 fatal vehicle accidents have occurred this year, according to the Honolulu Police Department. Hawai‘i News Now reported that this year’s accidents have almost doubled since 2024 due to reckless drivers. Hawai‘i also has the highest motorcycle deaths this year. According to Easton and Easton, the majority of these types of crashes are caused by speeding or alcohol. Luckily, the Honolulu Police Department are doing everything they can to decrease those numbers.
On the other hand, students, faculty and staff can also contribute by doing our part of this situation. Mr. Ben Douglass is the AV videographer that you see during lipsync, football games, or any other school events, he is also a current motorcyclist. “The biggest thing, and this is frustrating for every motorcycle rider, is the issue of distracted driving. And that doesn’t just apply to motorcycle riders. That applies to everybody, but there’s probably not a single day that goes by that I don’t witness firsthand extremely distracted driving, and most of the time that’s in the form of people on their phones,” Mr. Douglass said. Starting at the age of 16, Mr. Douglass has ridden a motorcycle every day for over 25 years. When riding, he often witnesses distracted and inexperienced drivers speeding down the highways late at night. Mr. Douglass shared, “You have to identify every situation very critically, because you’re so exposed to the elements and to everyone else on the road, and so for me personally, what that entails is trying to approach things with the mindset that it’s not just you out there.” Mr. Douglass advises future motorcyclist to know your machine before hitting the roads. Know how hard you can break before flipping out or damaging your tires, how fast you can go in a second, or how fast you can go before going out of control.
Jules W. ’26, a current senior car driver, adds what she does when around reckless motorcyclists or reckless drivers: “You just need to keep watching them, because things can happen really fast. And if you take your attention away from them at some point you could not even notice them fall, and that’s where the real accidents happen.” The majority of these accidents are due to motorcycles speeding on empty highways at night and going out of control, driving after drinking and not being aware of others around them. This also applies to other motor vehicles; if drivers are not paying attention to the road or their surroundings, they could get into an accident with other cars, people or motorcycles. When asked the question, who has more responsibility, Jules stated, “It’s really both of us. If one doesn’t play their part, then that’s how accidents happen. If we’re both paying attention and being safe, then that’s how we make less accidents happen.”
In the end, these accidents are avoidable, and we can decrease the numbers so students can be safer by doing our part. As Mr. Douglass suggests, follow road safety laws and to also have sense when deciding to drive late at night, speeding around O‘ahu with your friends. Jules advises drivers to be more aware and prepared of your surroundings, For future drivers from ‘Iolani, be aware of other drivers that you share the road with and take extra precautions around motorcyclists because they’re at a higher risk of injury. Stay safe, Raiders!
