Reckless Driving and Inattention
HRS 291-2 and HRS 291-12 — reckless driving up to $1,000 or 30 days; inattention up to $500
Operating any vehicle recklessly in disregard of the safety of persons or property is reckless driving, which carries a fine of up to $1,000, up to 30 days in jail, or both. Riding an animal recklessly is the same offense.
Who handles this in Hawaii: Hawaii State Bar Association, Lawyer Referral and Information Service; and legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Hawaii directory.
Operating a vehicle so negligently that it causes a collision with, or injury or damage to, a person, vehicle or other property is inattention to driving, which carries a fine of up to $500, up to 30 days in jail, or both.
Inattention to driving may also carry a surcharge of up to $100, paid into the trauma system special fund. Reckless driving turns on recklessness; inattention turns on negligence that ends in a collision, injury or damage.
Sources for this section (2)
- HRS 291-2 — Reckless driving of vehicle or riding of animals; penalty
- HRS 291-12 — Inattention to driving
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Hawaii attorney.