Posted on: Sunday, June 26, 2005

Fast lane

By the time Henry Ford was putting America on wheels with his Model T in the early 1900s, O'ahu was already cruisin' in the "fast lane"— albeit at the modest pace of 15 miles per hour.

The first cars to arrive on the island of O'ahu had their trial runs along King Street on a warm and sunny Sunday afternoon on October 8, 1899. Ironically, both vehicles were equipped with electric motors — a source of power that's regaining favor among today's cost- and environmentally conscious motorists.

Since then, kama'aina have embraced cars and trucks with a passion. We rely on our vehicles for commuting to work, running errands, dropping kids off at soccer practice, visiting friends across town or driving to the beach. Many of us are even in the habit of banking or ordering ready-to-go meals without ever stepping out of the car — thanks to drive-up windows.

But apparently, driving isn't enough.

Multitasking is the order of the day. While driving, many of us also find ourselves combing our hair, feeding the baby, petting the dog, sipping coffee, listening to music, sorting papers, munching on musubi, applying lipstick, shaving, refereeing unruly kids, downloading a laptop computer, text messaging or logging time on our cell phones.

Our cars are our second homes, and in some cases, our only refuge from the demands of work, home and family. Yes, we even love our cars despite traffic jams, fender benders, nonexistent parking spaces, crazy drivers (its always them, not us), potholes, detours and some of the highest gasoline prices in the nation.

During the past year, nearly 46,000 new cars and trucks were sold on O'ahu. That's an increase of 4.5 percent over 2003, and further increases are projected for 2005 by the Hawai'i Automobile Dealers Association. Overall, more than 75,000 new and used vehicles were registered for use in the City & Country of Honolulu during the past 12 months.

The old adage that "variety is the spice of life" pertains to the cars and trucks we drive as well. At last count, buyers could select vehicles from 36 different manufacturers from Asia, Europe and the United States.

While the market is dominated by Asian nameplates, we seem to prefer trucks, SUVs and minivans to cars — no matter who builds them. Trucks accounted for 56.2 percent of all the light vehicles sold on O'ahu last year.

Of course, cars have evolved into more than mere methods of getting from point A (Aiea) to Point B (Black Point). Cars and trucks are also grist for rumors, statistics, jokes and fond memories for many kama'aina. For example:

Automobile Firsts

• O'ahu's first auto theft took place in 1901 when Pat Corcoran, a Honolulu fireman, was seen pushing someone else's car down Beretania Street after celebrating the Fourth of July with too much gusto and beer.
• The first driver's licenses on O'ahu were issued in 1906.
• In 1906, the first fatality on O'ahu was recorded when Louis Marks of Aiea backed out of his driveway and tumbled over a 25-foot embankment.
• In 1909, Prince Kuhio was the first member of the Ali'i to drive a motorized car.
• The first truck on O'ahu was a two-cylinder, 16-horsepower Reo in 1912.
• O'ahu's first taxicabs appeared on city streets in 1914 and passengers were charged seventy-five cents for a ride from downtown Honolulu to the Moana Hotel.
• The intersection of Nuuanu Avenue and Beretania Street was the site of the first overhead traffic light in 1936.
• The first parking meter in Hawai'i was installed at Honolulu International Airport and required one cent for 12 minutes.
• The first mile of the six-lane Lunalilo Freeway (formerly the Mauka Arterial) was opened to Ewaibound traffic in 1953 and stretched from Old Waialae Road to Alexander Street.

• More than 575,000 people on O'ahu are licensed to drive
• The average driver on O'ahu is 43 years old.
• The average retail price of a new car on O'ahu is $28,050 and used cars average $14,250.
• The yearly cost of operating a car on O'ahu averages nearly $8,340 per year.
• The average passenger car on O'ahu is 5 years old.
• On O'ahu, the average driver spends 60 minutes a day commuting to and from work.
• On average, O'ahu motorists drive their cars 12,000 miles/year.