MEDIA RELEASE

During the week of April 7, 2009, through April 13, 2009, Big Island police arrested 19 motorists for drunk driving. Seven of the drivers were involved in a traffic crash.

So far this year, there have been 362 DUI arrests compared with 391 during the same period last year, a decrease of 7.4 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	8		103
Puna    	2		44
Ka‘u    	1		16
Kona    	7		155
South Kohala	0		31
North Kohala	1		11

Island Total	19		362

There have been 479 major accidents so far this year compared with 541 during the same period last year, a decrease of 11.5 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.