Drivers renewing their licenses may have to take refresher written tests in the future as lawmakers brainstorm how to improve road safety after a harrowing year of statewide traffic fatalities.
Mandatory written tests on renewal aren’t commonly done around the United States. California got rid of the requirement for older drivers in fall 2024, and Hawaiʻi — which requires licenses to be renewed every two years, four years or eight years, depending on the driver’s age — ended the practice in 1997.
Honolulu City Council member Radiant Cordero and state Rep. Darius Kila want to revisit the renewal tests, with a first discussion slated for a Thursday council committee meeting. Cordero envisions the renewal tests as refreshers that would take about 10 minutes to complete, though in Kila’s mind they would be more substantial than that…