Hawai’i Police Department
Traffic Services Section
Sergeant Kelly Ka’aumoana-Matsumoto
Phone: 961-2305
March 17, 2009
Media Release
During the week of March 10, 2009, through March 16, 2009, Big Island police arrested 24 motorists for drunk driving. Eleven of the drivers were involved in a traffic crash. One of the drivers was under the age of 21.
So far this year, there have been 257 DUI arrests compared with 278 during the same period last year, a decrease of 7.6 percent. The numbers of arrests by district were:
| District | Weekly Total | Year to Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hāmākua | 1 | 1 | |
| North Hilo | 0 | 0 | |
| South Hilo | 10 | 64 | |
| Puna | 3 | 32 | |
| Ka’u | 0 | 15 | |
| Kona | 6 | 113 | |
| South Kohala | 4 | 24 | |
| North Kohala | 0 | 8 | |
| Island Total | 24 | 257 | |
There have been 336 major accidents so far this year compared with 398 during the same period last year, a decrease of 15.6 percent.
So far this year, there were four traffic fatalities (one fatality previously reclassified) on the Big Island compared with nine during the same period last year, an decrease of 55.6 percent.
DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue island wide.