The punishment for repeatedly driving without a license in Hawaiʻi just became more severe.
The third offense for driving without a valid license is now a felony under a new law. The three offenses must have occurred within a five-year time period.
House Bill 2526 comes after the fatal crash involving 16-year-old Sara Yara. She was struck last year by a driver who had 164 prior traffic violations and was driving without a license at the time of Yara's death.
“ The message here in this legislation is people need to stop driving without a license," said House Speaker Scott Saiki who co-authored the bill.
"We want to keep our roads safe for pedestrians and other drivers. It's something that we take very seriously. And we will be working closely with law enforcement to make sure that this new law is enforced in our state.”
The law goes into effect immediately and gives the courts the ability to take away the offending driver’s vehicle as well.
