Now that busy season is upon us here in Maui, both locals and vacationers alike are noticing a huge influx in traffic throughout the island. I thought I’d take a moment to post a few driving tips and reminders to those visiting the island or planning a trip to the Valley Isle in the near future. Now don’t get me wrong; I don’t profess to be the world’s most perfect driver all the time. However, there are a few things it’s very important to be mindful of while driving on Maui. My intention isn’t to preach for the sake of preaching. There are some genuine safety hazards out there and I want to help others avoid them.
First and foremost, watch the road. There are many miles of beautiful scenery, and sometimes when driving it can be challenging not to try to sneak a peak at a distant waterfall or a breeching whale. Find a place to pull over. Unfortunately too many tourists try to sight-see while driving and it can put a damper on their vacation when they don’t notice the car in front of them stopping or a pedestrian darting across the street.
Speaking of pedestrians, it’s important to be exceedingly aware of people attempting to cross the road. This may seem like common sense wherever you’re driving, but along certain stretches of road in Maui, especially South Kihei Road in Kihei, Hana Highway in Paia, and Front Street in Lahaina, people excited to hit the beach or shops often dart out into traffic more often than I remember seeing anywhere else in my years of driving.
Although there are all types of drivers from all over the world, the overall spirit of the traffic is going to be laid back and relaxed. Remember, most of the people are on vacation. Nobody is going to understand being in a hurry. When I first came to Maui, I would get frustrated with the guy in front of me waiting to turn left and refusing to “gun it” when a small window opened up. Sit back, relax, you’ll get where you’re going when you get there. If you’re the type of person that is very agenda oriented like I am, you simply have to allow yourself extra time.
That being said, there is one exception to this, and that’s when driving out in remote areas where the roads are narrow and difficult to navigate. If you find yourself the leader in a slow moving parade of vehicles, find a place to pull over and let everyone by. It’ll be less stressful for you, and more often than not, the locals that populate those remote areas know these roads, travel them daily, and are comfortable traversing them at a higher rate of speed than someone navigating them for the first time.
If you made a wrong turn or think you’re lost, don’t panic, don’t do a quick U-turn, don’t pull out the map and try to navigate while driving. Just find a safe place to pull over and figure out the situation. Too many times I’ve seen people miss their hotel entrance and react by slamming on the brakes and reversing up the road. Or miss the beach access they wanted and do a U-turn in the middle of the highway. Again, I know it seems like common sense, but in areas with high tourist concentrated areas, this type of bad behavior is overly prevalent.
Finally, do not use the horn unless there is a genuine need to warn of eminent danger. On Maui the car horn is not used as a method of greeting, expressing irritation at someone else’s action, or a way to inform the car ahead that the light just turned green. This piece of information is mostly to encourage courteous behavior, but also to remind chronic horn users that the sound can be startling, especially when driving through tunnels, and some drivers may swerve or slam on the brakes when startled.
Okay, I’m done with my rant for now. I know that much of this seems like common driving sense, but we do see a large number of traffic accidents, especially those involving pedestrians, and I want to make sure those visiting Maui or new to living in Maui are aware of most frequent hazards and can avoid them.
Mahalo!
