Have you been charged with racing on one of Honolulu's highways? Whether you were ticketed on the H-1, the H-2 or the H-3 or another main road, the Law Office of Steve Cedillos can help you contest your ticket! A Honolulu traffic offense lawyer from my firm will make sure that you have the defense you need on your side.

Racing on a public road or highway is illegal in Hawaii, per §291C-103.

"(a) Except as provided in section 291C-149, no person shall drive any vehicle in any race, speed competition or contest, drag race or acceleration contest, test of physical endurance, exhibition of speed or acceleration, or for the purpose of making a speed record, and no person shall in any manner participate in any race, competition, contest, test, or exhibition prohibited by this section."

The law defines racing as using one or more vehicles to try and outgain or outdistancing another vehicle to a given destination, or to test the vehicle's stamina while driving. Similarly, drag racing is when two or more vehicles try to outdistance each other while side by side over an agreed upon course. This is for the purpose of testing the vehicles' speed and acceleration.

Illegal drag racing is all too common in the United States. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 153 people were killed in 122 crashes while racing between 2001 and 2010. USA Today reports that "The drag-racing craze soared among young people after the 2001 movie, The Fast and the Furious."

While my firm recognizes that drag racing does occur, I also understand that it is easy to get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Cops have been known to give racing tickets based simply on the skid marks left by your tires, so it is important that you secure hard-hitting legal representation to contest these allegations immediately! Make an appointment to see a Honolulu criminal defense attorney at my firm, before it's too late.

If you are convicted of racing on a highway, you could face a sentence of six months in jail and up to a $500 fine. The penalties are worse if you have a track record of highway racing or if you were driving 30 mph over the speed limit. Depending on the circumstances, you could face up to a year in jail, be fined up to $2,000 and be subject to a three-year license suspension.

A defense that could be available to you is that you were simply speeding, not racing. It can be very difficult for the prosecution to prove that you were racing. I, Attorney Steve Cedillos, have more than 20 years of legal experience that I can use to dismantle the accusations facing you and will do everything within my power to achieve a charge dismissal or reduction for you. Contact my office at (808) 536-5242 and get an experienced litigator on your side now!