In response to the Nov. 4 letter "Why are lifted trucks allowed on our road?": Thanks for getting the ball rolling.
I would like to add that these trucks are not legal and should not be allowed on our public roadways. Each year they must pass a safety inspection at one of our state-mandated safety inspection stations. The trucks are checked for many things - insurance, adequate tire tread, functioning lights/turn signals - and then deemed roadworthy for another year.
For a lifted truck to pass a safety inspection in Hawaii, the vehicle must have a bumper no higher than 29 inches and headlights no higher than 44 inches from the pavement. The truck must have fenders which completely hide the tires under the body of the vehicle. The tires must be completely concealed by mudflaps, which stop stones and other debris from damaging the vehicles/people near them.
How is it that these dangerous, illegal trucks are so commonly found on our Maui roads? Why are there so many of them?
At night their headlights blind drivers in head-on conditions.
Let's work together to rid the roads of these killer trucks. Call the police with the license plate number and let's start cleaning up Maui.
Tom James
Makawao
