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Question : Is it true that as long as a car’s key is in the ignition, it is illegal to use a cellphone in a car even if the car’s engine is turned off? Read more

Question: Is it true that as long as a car’s key is in the ignition, it is illegal to use a cellphone in a car even if the car’s engine is turned off?

Answer: No, it’s not true. The Hawaii law that makes it illegal to operate a motor vehicle while using a mobile electronic device has an exemption for “drivers of vehicles that are at a complete stop, while the engine is turned off, in a safe location by the side of the road out of the way of traffic.” It doesn’t say the key has to be out of the ignition.

We also checked with Honolulu Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Yu, who confirmed with HPD’s Traffic Division that our interpretation is correct.

Kokua Line receives this question from time to time, so this myth seems persistent.

What could prompt a ticket, even if the engine is turned off, is if the car isn’t safely out of the way of traffic. You can’t just stop anywhere.

The law is specific about what constitutes use. You don’t have to be texting or talking on the phone. Simply holding the mobile device while operating the vehicle is enough to incur a $250 ticket, under the law, which you can read at 808ne.ws/291C137

Besides the exemption for being safely stopped and out of the way, there are exemptions for emergency responders and certain other drivers. Also, calling 911 while driving is an affirmative defense.

Q: Why wasn’t the DMV taking orders for the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park license plates? It only had the Maui Haleakala plates but not the other. The clerks at DMV didn’t know if or when the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park plates would return.

A: The volcano plates ran short on Oahu due to customer demand but should be available again soon, perhaps even by the time this information is published, according to a city spokesman.

Specialty license plates featuring scenes from either Haleakala National Park or Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park first became available last August. They help raise money for resource protection and education projects at the popular national parks.

Q: How much did Roger Federer get for winning the Australian Open? They never say how much the tennis players get, like they do with the golf tournaments. He’s my favorite.

A: Federer earned 4 million Australian dollars for winning the men’s singles title Jan. 28; that’s about $3.2 million in U.S. currency. The women’s singles champion (Caroline Wozniacki) earned the same amount, according to the tournament website.

Q: Glad someone finally took the lieutenant governor’s job! It’s weird the others could turn it down. Was that legal?

A: Yes. The Hawaii law (HRS 26-2, 808ne.ws/ succlaw) that lists the order of succession makes clear that anyone called may decline the post. The vacancy is first offered to the state Senate president, then goes, in descending order, to the House speaker, attorney general, director of finance, comptroller, director of taxation or director of human resources development. Gov. David Ige had reached the third option when Doug Chin took the job. He was sworn in Friday, and Russell Suzuki became acting attorney general.

Mahalo

We want to give a big mahalo to a wonderful man who was checking out at the Longs cashier in front of my husband and me last month. He paid for his purchases in cash, and as he left the cashier, he passed a $50 dollar bill to the cashier and told her to pay for our purchases. We were shocked. We could not believe that there are some great and wonderful people around to do that. We tried to look for him when we exited Longs, but couldn’t find him. We are so appreciative of his kind gesture. Mahalo to that wonderful man! — Helen

Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.