(a) Whenever traffic is controlled by traffic-control signals exhibiting different colored lights, or colored lighted arrows, successively one at a time or in combination, only the colors green, red, and yellow shall be used, except for special pedestrian signals carrying a word or symbol legend, and the lights shall indicate and apply to drivers of vehicles and pedestrians as follows:

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Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 291C-32

  • Bicycle: means :

    (1) A vehicle propelled solely by human power upon which any person may ride, having two tandem wheels, and including any vehicle generally recognized as a bicycle though equipped with two front or two rear wheels except a toy bicycle; or
    (2) A low-speed electric bicycle, as defined under title 15 United States Code § 2085. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 291C-1
  • Crosswalk: means :

    (1) That part of a roadway at an intersection included within the connections of the lateral lines of the sidewalks on opposite sides of the highway measured from the curbs or, in the absence of curbs, from the edges of the traversable roadway; or
    (2) Any portion of a roadway at an intersection or elsewhere distinctly indicated for pedestrian crossing by lines or other markings on the surface. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 291C-1
  • Driver: means every person who drives or is in actual physical control of a vehicle. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 291C-1
  • Intersection: means the area embraced within the prolongation or connection of the lateral curb lines, or, if none, then the lateral boundary lines of the roadways of two highways which join one another at, or approximately at, right angles, or the area within which vehicles traveling upon different highways joining at any other angle may come in conflict. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 291C-1
  • Motor vehicle: means every vehicle which is self-propelled and every vehicle which is propelled by electric power but not operated upon rails but excludes a moped. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 291C-1
  • Owner: means a person, other than a lien holder, having the property in or title to a vehicle. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 291C-1
  • Pedestrian: means any person afoot, in an invalid chair, or in a vehicle propelled by a person afoot. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 291C-1
  • Right-of-way: means the right of one vehicle or pedestrian to proceed in a lawful manner in preference to another vehicle or pedestrian approaching under such circumstances of direction, speed, and proximity as to give rise to danger of collision unless one grants precedence to the other. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 291C-1
  • Roadway: means that portion of a highway improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular travel, exclusive of the berm or shoulder. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 291C-1
  • standing: means the halting of a vehicle, whether occupied or not, otherwise than temporarily for the purpose of and while actually engaged in receiving or discharging passengers. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 291C-1
  • Street: means the entire width between boundary lines of every way publicly maintained when any part thereof is open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 291C-1
  • Traffic: means pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, and other conveyances either singly or together while using any highway for purposes of travel. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 291C-1
  • Traffic-control signal: means any device, whether manually, electrically, or mechanically operated, by which traffic is alternately directed to stop and permitted to proceed. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 291C-1
  • Vehicle: means every device in, upon, or by which any person or property is or may be transported or drawn upon a roadway or highway, including mopeds and bicycles, but excluding toy bicycles, devices other than bicycles moved by human power, and devices used exclusively upon stationary rails or tracks. See Hawaii Revised Statutes 291C-1
(1) Green indication:

(A) Vehicular traffic facing a circular green signal may proceed straight through or turn right or left unless prohibited by a sign at the place . But vehicular traffic, including vehicles turning right or left, shall yield the right-of-way to other vehicles and to pedestrians lawfully within the intersection or an adjacent crosswalk at the time the signal is exhibited.
(B) Vehicular traffic facing a green arrow signal, shown alone or in combination with another indication, may cautiously enter the intersection only to make the movement indicated by the arrow or to make other movement that is permitted by other indications shown at the same time. The vehicular traffic shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians lawfully within an adjacent crosswalk and to other traffic lawfully using the intersection.
(C) Unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian-control signal as provided in section 291C-33, pedestrians facing any green signal, except when the sole green signal is a turn arrow, may proceed across the roadway within any marked or unmarked crosswalk.
(2) Steady yellow indication:

(A) Vehicular traffic facing a steady yellow signal is thereby warned that the related green movement is being terminated or that a red indication will be exhibited immediately thereafter when vehicular traffic shall not enter the intersection.
(B) Pedestrians facing a steady yellow signal, unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian-control signal as provided in section 291C-33, are thereby advised that there is insufficient time to cross the roadway before a red indication is shown and no pedestrian shall then start to cross the roadway.
(3) Steady red indication:

(A) Vehicular traffic facing a steady red signal alone shall stop at a clearly marked stop line or, if none, before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then before entering the intersection and shall remain standing until an indication to proceed is shown, except as provided in subparagraphs (B) and (C).
(B) The driver of a vehicle that is stopped in obedience to a steady red indication may make a right turn but shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and other traffic proceeding as directed by the signal at the intersection, except that counties by ordinance may prohibit any right turn against a steady red indication, which ordinance shall be effective when a sign is erected at the intersection giving notice thereof.
(C) The driver of a vehicle on a one-way street that intersects another one-way street on which traffic moves to the left shall stop in obedience to a steady red indication but may then make a left turn into the one-way street, but shall yield right-of-way to pedestrians proceeding as directed by the signal at the intersection, except that counties by ordinance may prohibit any left turn against a steady red indication, which ordinance shall be effective when a sign is erected at the intersection giving notice thereof.
(D) Unless otherwise directed by a pedestrian-control signal as provided in section 291C-33, pedestrians facing a steady red signal alone shall not enter the roadway.
(b) In the event an official traffic-control signal is erected and maintained at a place other than an intersection, the provisions of this section shall be applicable except as to those provisions which by their nature can have no application. Any stop required shall be made at a sign or marking on the pavement indicating where the stop shall be made, but in the absence of any such sign or marking the stop shall be made at the signal.
(c) Whenever traffic is controlled by traffic-control signals exhibiting different colored lights, or colored lighted arrows, successively one at a time or in combination, and actively monitored by an official photo red light imaging detector system, all registered owners of all motor vehicles in vehicular traffic at the intersection shall be held strictly liable for the motor vehicle‘s compliance with the traffic-control signal, to the extent that registered owners may be cited and held accountable for non-compliance via civil traffic infractions pursuant to chapter 291J. The traffic-control signal lights shall apply to the registered owners of motor vehicles as follows:

(1) Steady red indication:

(A) Vehicular traffic facing a steady red signal alone shall stop at a clearly marked stop line or, if none, before entering the crosswalk on the near side of the intersection or, if none, then before entering the intersection and shall remain standing until an indication to proceed is shown, except as provided in subparagraphs (B) and (C).
(B) Vehicular traffic that is stopped in obedience to a steady red indication may make a right turn but shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and other traffic proceeding as directed by the signal at the intersection, except that counties by ordinance may prohibit any right turn against a steady red indication, which ordinance shall be effective when a sign is erected at the intersection giving notice thereof.
(C) Vehicular traffic on a one-way street that intersects another one-way street on which traffic moves to the left shall stop in obedience to a steady red indication but may then make a left turn into the one-way street, but shall yield right-of-way to pedestrians proceeding as directed by the signal at the intersection, except that counties by ordinance may prohibit any left turn against a steady red indication, which ordinance shall be effective when a sign is erected at the intersection giving notice thereof.
(2) To the extent a registered owner‘s motor vehicle fails to comply with any other law or ordinance related to traffic-control signals, including subsection (a)(1) or (2), the registered owner of a motor vehicle shall not be held strictly liable unless otherwise provided by law.
(d) For purposes of this section, a pedestrian is lawfully within an intersection or adjacent crosswalk when any part or extension of the pedestrian, including any part of the pedestrian’s body, wheelchair, cane, crutch, or bicycle, is beyond the curb or the edges of the traversable roadway or moves onto the roadway within an intersection or crosswalk.

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