MEDIA RELEASE

During the week of March 17, 2009, through March 23, 2009, Big Island police arrested 36 motorists for drunk driving. Eight of the drivers were involved in a traffic crash. Three were under the age of 21.

So far this year, there have been 293 DUI arrests compared with 313 during the same period last year, a decrease of 6.4 percent. The numbers of arrests by district were:

DUI Arrests by District

District	Weekly Total	Year to Date
Hāmākua	        1		2
North Hilo	0		0
South Hilo	10		74
Puna     	4		36
Ka‘u    	0		15
Kona    	14		127
South Kohala	6		30
North Kohala	1		9

Island Total	36		293

There have been 368 major accidents so far this year compared with 443 during the same period last year, a decrease of 16.9 percent.

So far this year, there were five traffic fatalities on the Big Island compared with nine during the same period last year, a decrease of 44.4 percent.

DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue island wide.