HAWAII COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT
TRAFFIC SERVICES SECTION
SERGEANT RANDY K. APELE
PHONE: 961-2305
JULY 11, 2002
MEDIA RELEASE
A recent statewide study of seat belt usage shows that motorists in the Puna District had the lowest seat belt usage rate in the County of Hawaii.
The study, conducted June 1-5 by researchers from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, showed that Puna motorists and passengers had a combined usage rate of 82.7 percent. This compares with a rate of 89 percent for the Big Island as a whole.
The Districts of North Hilo and North and South Kohala had the highest usage rate in the county at more than 93 percent.
Sergeant Randy Apele of the Traffic Services Section said federal funding will be used to educate the public and enforce seat belt usage throughout the Big Island, especially in Puna.
“Research has shown a direct correlation between increased seat belt usage and reduce traffic accidents and fatalities,” Apele said.
“We are going to concentrate enforcement efforts in Puna to increase seat belt usage,” he said.
University researchers sampled a total of 3,867 drivers and 5,909 passengers for the survey in eight separate areas on the Big Island.
Here is a breakdown of the survey results:
| District |
Belted
Driver |
Belted
Passenger |
Belted
Overall |
| South Hilo |
91.0%
|
90.6%
|
90.9%
|
| North Hilo |
93.7%
|
93.6%
|
93.7%
|
| Hamakua |
84.0%
|
95.5%
|
86.8%
|
| Kohala |
95.1%
|
90.1%
|
93.3%
|
| North Kona |
88.0%
|
83.5%
|
86.4%
|
| South Kona |
89.0%
|
77.3%
|
85.5%
|
| Puna |
82.9%
|
82.4%
|
82.7%
|
| Ka’u |
90.4%
|
94.1%
|
91.6%
|
| Total |
89.8%
|
94.1%
|
89.1%
|
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