This image gives you an idea of the active flows on the Big Island over just the last couple of hundred years. Including flows that almost got into Hilo town as resent as the the late 1980s
The southeast slope of Kilauea has been the most active in this last period of eruption.
Still quite a large area that is the most affordable area for land prices. This part of the island gets a lot of rain so the vegetation grows back on new land there quickly making it seem less volital than it actually is. In 50+ years there can be fern, bush and young trees covering new lava .
The routes of the flows is unpredictable. There are areas that haven't had flows in thousands of years right next to new flows. And where the next rift will open or next flow will travel is not something that can detrimined positively.
The volcanoes area is a thriving arts and woodworkers community, being the best source of good Koa wood.
Some of the subdivisions are placed in pretty risky areas, making it seem chancy as a choice to settle.
Whether it's wildfires, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes or extreme winter it seems most places have some sort of natural risk. I think we are most accepting of the risks we grew up with. Doesn't mean that others are crazy to live with their risk of choice.
Some do seem to chose to put themselves very close to the risk tho. Think waterfront etc.
It is hard to understand why a car gets caught by a flow, maybe broken down?
Cheers Richard