MEDIA RELEASE

During the week of September 10, 2012, through September 16, 2012, Big Island police arrested 26 motorists for drunk driving. Eight of the drivers were involved in traffic crashes.

So far this year, there have been 999 DUI arrests compared with 1,050 during the same period last year, a decrease of 4.9 percent. The numbers of arrests by district were:

District	Weekly Total	Year to Date
Hāmākua 	1	 	10	 
North Hilo	0	 	2	 
South Hilo	7	 	362	 
Puna    	1	 	118	 
Ka’ū    	0	 	20	 
Kona    	16	 	418	 
South Kohala	1	 	62	 
North Kohala	0	 	7	 
Island Total:	26	 	999

There have been 1,040 major accidents so far this year compared with 995 during the same period last year, an increase of 4.5 percent.

So far this year, there were 30 traffic fatalities on the Big Island compared with 15 during the same period last year, an increase of 100 percent.

To date, 14 fatalities were related to drugs (5), alcohol (3), or a combination of both (6).

DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue island wide.