MEDIA RELEASE

During the week of September 8, 2009, through September 14, 2009, Big Island police arrested 17 motorists for drunk driving. Three of the drivers were involved in traffic crashes.

So far this year, there have been 955 DUI arrests compared with 980 during the same period last year, a decrease of 2.6 percent. The numbers of arrests by district were:

DUI Arrests by District
District   Weekly Total	Year to Date

Hāmākua 	0		3
North Hilo	1		3
South Hilo	9		307
Puna    	3		114
Ka‘u    	0		35
Kona    	3		400
South Kohala	1		74
North Kohala	0		19

Island Total  17	    955

There have been 1,109 major accidents so far this year compared with 1,261 during the same period last year, a decrease of 12.1 percent.

So far this year, there were 19 traffic fatalities on the Big Island compared with 19 during the same period last year.

DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue island wide.