During the week of March 18 through March 24, 2024, Hawai‘i Island police arrested 19 motorists for driving under the influence of an intoxicant. Eleven of the drivers were involved in a traffic accident, and two of the drivers were under the age of 21.
According to the Hawaii Police Department’s Traffic Services Section, there have been 216 DUI arrests so far this year, compared with 245 during the same period last year, marking a decrease of 11.8 percent.
The police department provided a breakdown of the arrests by district, showing that Hilo had the highest number of arrests with 96, followed by Kona with 86, and Puna with 25. The total number of arrests on the island was 192.
In terms of major crashes, there have been 224 incidents so far this year, which is slightly higher than the 217 crashes during the same period last year, representing an increase of 3.2 percent.
Regarding fatal crashes, there have been 10 incidents resulting in 11 fatalities this year, compared to four fatal crashes with five fatalities during the same period last year, indicating a significant increase of 150 percent for fatal crashes and 120 percent for fatalities.
In contrast, the non-traffic fatality count for 2024 is currently at zero, the same as last year's figure. Despite the fluctuations in different categories, DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue island-wide to ensure the safety of all road users.