MEDIA RELEASE

During the week of March 31, 2009, through April 6, 2009, Big Island police arrested 31 motorists for drunk driving. Twelve of the drivers were involved in a traffic crash. Six were under the age of 21.

So far this year, there have been 343 DUI arrests compared with 369 during the same period last year, a decrease of 7 percent. The numbers of arrests by district were:

DUI Arrests by District
District	Weekly Total	Year to Date
Hāmākua 	0		2
North Hilo	0		0
South Hilo	12		95
Puna    	4		42
Ka‘u    	0		15
Kona    	13		148
South Kohala	1		31
North Kohala	1		10

Island Total	31		343

There have been 432 major accidents so far this year compared with 513 during the same period last year, a decrease of 15.8 percent.

So far this year, there were five traffic fatalities on the Big Island compared with 11 during the same period last year, a decrease of 54.5 percent.

DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue island wide.