RELATING TO MOTORCYCLES.

SB2226

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

2226

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

Relating
to Motorcycles
.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

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SECTION 1.
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The
legislature finds that motorcycle safety is an increasingly pressing issue in
the State.
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In recent years, motorcycle
accidents, injuries, and fatalities have all increased.
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As of November, the department of
transportation reported twenty-seven motorcycle fatalities in the State in
2025.
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Sixty-one per cent of those
fatalities were not wearing safety helmets at the time of the accident.
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The legislature further finds that evidence
demonstrates that safety helmets reduce the severity of injuries and frequency
of fatalities caused by motorcycle accidents.
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For example, the Missouri department of transportation found that the
repeal of the state's universal helmet law correlated to a rise in motorcycle
fatalities.
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Since the law's repeal in
2020, motorcycle fatalities increased by forty-seven per cent, culminating in Missouri's
deadliest year on record with one‑hundred and seventy‑four deaths in
2023.
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This trend demonstrates the
life-saving power of statutory safety helmet requirements.
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Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to
require all motorcycle operators and passengers in the State to wear safety
helmets.

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SECTION

2
.
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Section 286-81,
Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended as follows:

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1.
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By amending subsection (a) to read:

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(a)
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No person shall operate a motorcycle or motor
scooter, on any highway in the State unless the person and any passenger the
person carries on the motorcycle or motor scooter wears:

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(1)
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Safety glasses, goggles, or a face
shield, in the case of a motorcycle or motor scooter that is not equipped with
windscreens or windshields; and

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(2)
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Any other protective devices, other
than a safety helmet, required by rules adopted by the director[
.
]
;
provided that in the case of a person operating a motorcycle, a safety helmet
securely fastened with a chin strap shall be required for the person and any
passenger the person carries on the motorcycle.

For the
purpose of meeting the requirements of this subsection, a required device shall
meet the specifications and requirements established by rules adopted by the
director."

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2
.
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By amending subsections (e) and (f) to read:

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(e)
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No person less than eighteen years of age
shall operate or ride as a passenger on a [
motorcycle or
] motor scooter
on any highway in the State unless the person wears a safety helmet securely
fastened with a chin strap.

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(f)
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A safety helmet shall not be required for any
person who operates or rides as a passenger on a [
motorcycle or
] motor
scooter; provided that the [
motorcycle or
] motor scooter:

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(1)
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Has three wheels;

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(2)
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Is powered by an electric motor;

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(3)
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Has a roll bar, roll cage, or full body
enclosed cab; and

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(4)
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Has a seat belt assembly or a child
restraint system for the driver and passenger;

and the
operator and passenger uses the seat belt or child restraint system pursuant to
sections 291-11.5 and 291-11.6."

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SECTION
3.
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Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
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New statutory
material is underscored.

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SECTION
4.
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This Act shall take effect upon its
approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Motorcycles;
Safety Equipment; Safety Helmet; Requirement

Description:

Requires
all persons operating or riding a motorcycle to wear a safety helmet.
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The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.