What are the speed limits like in Hawaii?
Posted speed limits on almost all highways in Hawaii are 55 mph or less (often much less). However, the speed limit on a few miles of Interstates H-1 and H-3 (between H-1 exits 2 and 5, and on H-3 in the Halawa Valley west of the trans-Koolau tunnels) increased to 60 mph in May 2002. Speed limit increases are also possible for some other Interstate segments, and a few other highways, but don’t hold your breath. Hawaii used to have a maximum speed limit of 65 mph, but reduced it to 55 mph when the National Maximum Speed Limit was enacted in 1973. There the speed limits stayed until 2002, even after all Federal speed limit mandates were repealed, making Hawaii the last vestige of the hated 55 mph NMSL. According to my contacts at Hawaii DOT, there was great reluctance to raise speed limits above 55 mph because even the best of Hawaii’s highways are not engineered for safe high-speed travel (due largely to short travel distances — even on the Big Island — and very high road construction
