Using these lights safely
Using these lights legally
Conclusion
Using these lights safely
When you are driving at night in Hawaii, you will occasionally need to use the lights in your passenger cabin. Maybe you are at a drive-thru restaurant, and you need to be able to see what is in your wallet or maybe you dropped something like your glasses, and you need to be able to find them. Regardless of why you are using your car’s cabin lights, you should never do so while your car is in motion.
This can easily lead to distracted driving. Imagine trying to simultaneously find something on the floor of your car and drive at the same time. The results could be disastrous. You can also distract other drivers when your car’s interior lights are on. It can cause them to temporarily lose focus on their driving and cause an accident. Always pull over if you need to use your car’s interior lights.
If you have children in your car, these lights can end up being extra distracting because these lights also often signal that a door has been opened. If you notice that these lights come on as you are driving, in a quick moment of panic, you could turn back to ensure that one of the kids has not opened a door. This is enough to cause an accident. So, it is critically important that the children who are passengers in your car are aware they cannot play with the cabin lights as you drive.
Using these lights legally
As we already mentioned, having your interior lights on while you are driving can hurt other drivers’ focus on the road. This is because the light has a potential to cause a glare which can make it difficult for another driver behind you to see the road in front of them. However, it is not illegal in Hawaii to have your interior lights on as you drive in Hawaii or any other state for that matter. However, if you keep them on long enough as you drive, and a police officer is nearby they could pull you over for being a threat to other drivers’ safety. The ticket and fine that you can end up with can vary based on an officer’s discretion.
Conclusion
The lights in your car’s cabin should only be used when you are not driving your vehicle. They can be a distraction to you and to other drivers. While it is not illegal to use these lights while driving in Hawaii, a police officer could deem you a danger to other drivers’ safety around if you keep the lights on for too long while driving. Be sure to speak to any child passengers prior to driving and make sure that they understand that these lights should never be played with.
