HAWAII COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT
TRAFFIC SERVICES SECTION
SERGEANT RANDY K. APELE
PHONE: 961-2305
SEPTEMBER 29, 2003
MEDIA RELEASE
Drunk driving arrests this year have increased 19 percent, Big Island police report.
As of September 28, 2003, police arrested 749 motorists for drunk driving, compared to 629 during the same period last year.
In addition, police statewide have noted a trend of highly intoxicated drunk drivers, Sergeant Randy Apele, head of the Traffic Services Section, said.
“Statistics show that breath and blood alcohol content levels have been on a continuous upswing and now average about twice the legal limit,” Apele said.
In an effort to remove drunk drivers from Big Island roads, Hawaii County leads the state in the number of sobriety checkpoints conducted by police, Apele said.
“DUI enforcement will continue to be a top traffic enforcement priority as reflected by continued sobriety checkpoints islandwide,” he said.
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