While the Big Island navigates through the end of summer, recent statistics from the Hawai‘i Police Department have highlighted both positive and concerning trends in traffic incidents. According to the Hawaiʻi Police Department's report released on September 4th, in the span of a week from August 25 to August 31, Hawai‘i Island police nabbed 14 drivers for operating vehicles under the influence. Of these, two were involved in accidents, and one was not yet of drinking age.
This year's tally of DUI arrests now stands at 599, which reflects a decrease of 8.27% from the same period in the previous year. Despite this decline in DUI arrests, the number of major crashes has seen a slight uptick – 694 so far this year, compared to 676 last year, marking an increase of 2.7 percent.
In a silver lining, the island has witnessed a significant reduction in the most tragic outcomes. There have been 14 fatal crashes resulting in 15 deaths this year, which is notably lower than last year's figures for the same time period, where 20 fatal crashes led to 22 deaths. This decrease represents a reduction of 30 percent in fatal crashes and 31.8 percent in fatalities.
In response to these mixed trends, the Hawai‘i Police Department has affirmed that DUI roadblocks and patrols will be an ongoing effort to maintain safety across the island.
