Did you know that there are stretches of roads in Hawaii that you shouldn’t drive with a rental car? The rental car companies have identified these roads as dangerous and if you drive on them, you can be in violation of your rental car agreement. The risk of violating your rental car agreement is that if you wreck, breakdown, or drive off a cliff, you are financially responsible for the repairs.
At first glance the forbidden roads may look benign. For the most part, they’re paved and look to be in good shape. Hidden dangers do indeed lurk on these roads, so I understand why the rental car companies don’t allow just anybody to drive them. What sort of dangers, you ask? Well, there’s:
Most guide books and other online guides don’t warn readers about the dangers of these roads and some even encourage visitors to drive these roads. I want you to be informed so that you can consider the risks before you decide to drive on these forbidden roads.
I’d like to end this semi-public service announcement post, but saying, that these forbidden roads represent a very small fraction of all of Hawaii’s exceptional scenic highways. You will not find a lack of beautiful drives are A-Okay with the rental car agencies.
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Great points. I'd have to say the "no guard rails" and narrow roads personally freak me out the most. Still love to try them in a Jeep though, someday.
Kris - it's so nice to see a comment from you again. Seems like you've been extra busy lately.
Yeah, the narrow roads right up next to a sheer cliff give me the heebie jeebies -- especially when you see bits of rock that have fallen into the road. Eeek!
Hey Sheila,
I drove my convertible Dodge 600 rental around there back in 86. It was great! I just went slow and enjoyed. Back then you ended up in the high country once you made it to the south side above Makena bch?
In 91 I rode a bike around the island camping. That was a great area. Only saw 2 cars all day. Dropped down through cane fields to Makena beach. Had a mt bike. There was a small country store out there at that time not too far south of 7 pools area.