I've seen this sign several times on our way into Honolulu and could never get a good photo of it. I finally did last week.
The sign is Hawaiian pidgin.
It says, "NO BE A STINKAH,
USE ONE BLINKAH"
Translation: "Don't be a stinker. Use your blinker."
It's a good thing to remember because Art does get aggravated when people cut into our lane often without signaling their intention.
I thought I'd heard some time ago that Hawaii had some of the worst drivers in the nation. Uuummm....
And then I found this on AI:
As of January 2026, Hawaii is ranked as the worst state in the nation for overall driving, according to a WalletHub study that considered factors like cost, safety, and traffic. The state frequently tops lists for bad driver behavior, including high rates of speeding, distracted driving, and driving under the influence, though state officials note recent safety and infrastructure improvements.Key 2025–2026 Rankings and Data:
- Overall Driver Quality: Ranked #1 worst in the nation for 2024–2025 due to poor behaviors like improper lane changes, running red lights, and speeding.
- State Driving Conditions: Ranked 50th (dead last) in the 2026 WalletHub study, which cited high gas prices, heavy congestion, and poor road quality.
- Specific Behaviors: Hawaii ranked 1st for drunk driving, 4th for speeding, and 4th for texting while driving, according to a report from The Law Office of R. Patrick McPherson.
- Traffic & Infrastructure: While rated poorly, Hawaii Department of Transportation officials stated the state's ranking in this specific category improved from 43rd in 2022 to 39th in 2026, notes Hawaii News Now.
Despite the poor ranking for behavior, Hawaii often ranks better (top 10 to 15) in terms of actual traffic fatalities and major crashes compared to other states.
Good grief! How embarrassing! Let's hope that 2026 will find Hawaii drivers showing less stink behavior and more good kine driving on the roads.
Oh dear. I am trying to figure how your roads could even be worse than ours. After every winter, we have enormous potholes and road damage from the freezing and thawing and heavy equipment. It gets fixed over the course of summer and fall just intimidate for winter!
ReplyDeleteThere are terrible drivers everywhere unfortunately-Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteI think Hawaiians are so happy that they get careless. 😀🥹🤪
ReplyDeleteI try not to be a STINKAH and always use my BLINKAH, makes me mad when the car in front of me turns without using his.
ReplyDeleteI'm surprised to see my state came in second place overall. I suppose it has to do a lot with being rural. In my county, there are no multilane highways, no stoplights and highway patrol doesn't visit very often so I guess that skews the data quite a bit for our larger cities where those things are all more common.
ReplyDeleteI hope that as modern cars with lane departure signals and actual boosts to keep one in their lane, that turn signals will become more common. In my car, it will fight you if you try to exit your lane without turning on your turn signal. It can still be done but requires more force so would get old if is done repeatedly.
Glad to see Vermont ranks up there so high. I think it rubs off on NH drivers who live close to VT. We noticed a marked difference from everywhere else we've driven.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait for a self driving car! It seems so dangerous when I drive here nowadays.
ReplyDeleteKay of Musings: Gosh! I haven’t driven in about 5 years now. I would be a hazard on the road.
DeleteWhen I tried to drive in Honolulu, all the streets seemed to start with K, and it was hard to get to our hotel because a T-shaped one-way street was a half block where I wanted to go. Only have to watch out for deer and buffalo in Kansas. Linda
ReplyDeleteKay of Musings: Art uses Google Maps a lot to get where we need to go.
DeleteI think we all have some crazy drivers. Our main high way is rather dangerous.
ReplyDeleteIt is scary out there. There are mad drivers all over the place.
ReplyDeleteThat is so interesting. I drove on the Big Island and of course that limits my experiences, but rush hour traffic in Chicago and the Dan Ryan top my list of horrible places to drive along with Milwaukee.
ReplyDeleteI figured WI would be the worst place for drinking and driving because of all the bars.
Huh.
That was really great info, thanks! I love learning these things.
We're right up there (down there?) with you. Bad traffic makes for frustrated and impatient drivers. John and I take the light rail whenever we can.
ReplyDeleteIn Arkansas, I’m afraid I pulled our average dow. I’m a very bad driver, but I try to stay focused otherwise I have folks honk at me. That startles me and it wise. Tell Art—please don’t honk at the elderly.
ReplyDeleteOops down. And worse.
DeleteKay of Musings: Actually Art would probably be considered elderly. We like to say “older kupuna.” And in Hawaii, drivers tend NOT to honk at anybody because it doesn’t show aloha. When our teenage nephew visited us in Chicago several decades ago, he heard honking and asked, “Isn’t it illegal to honk?”
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ReplyDeleteWell, I see that Washington State is almost as bad. We know that traffic is bad in the western I-5 corridor.
Yes, I see that sign all the time. I'm very grateful for my Subaru as I go back and forth over the H1 everyday to visit with my husband in the care home. No more motorcycles for me! How is your brother doing? Is he still riding? Thanks for your visit. It means a lot. Kay during this challenging time.
ReplyDeleteKay of Musings: Dennis sold his bike last year to the relief of my sister in law. He really misses it though. He felt it was safer for him than driving. 🥴 That’s a rather long drive for you every day according to Hawaii standards, Cloudia. I’m so very sorry for your husband and what you’re going through now. It’s not easy caring for loved ones and seeing their frustrations and pain as well.
DeleteI laughed at that sign, love it! Interesting map.
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