MEDIA RELEASE

During the week of May 5, 2009, through May 11, 2009, Big Island police arrested 25 motorists for drunk driving. Twelve of the drivers were involved in a traffic crash. Four of the drivers were under the age of 21.

So far this year, there have been 481 DUI arrests compared with 508 during the same period last year, a decrease of 5.3 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	10		147
Puna    	5		55
Ka‘u    	0		20
Kona    	9		207
South Kohala	1		38
North Kohala	0		12

Island Total	25		481

There have been 585 major accidents so far this year compared with 674 during the same period last year, a decrease of 13.2 percent.

So far this year, there were six traffic fatalities on the Big Island compared with eleven during the same period last year, a decrease of 45.5 percent.

DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue island wide.