During the week of Oct. 7-Oct. 13, Hawaii Island police arrested 19 motorists for DUI. Three of the drivers were involved in a traffic accident. One was younger than 21.
The numbers of arrests by district were: Kona, seven; Puna, four; South Hilo and South Kohala, three each; Ka‘u and North Kohala, one each.
So far this year, there have been 875 DUI arrests compared to 878 during the same period last year, a decrease of 0.3 percent.
There have been 750 major accidents so far this year compared with 961 during the same period last year, a decrease of 22 percent.
To date, there have been 15 official traffic fatalities compared to 25 fatalities at this time last year, a decrease of 40 percent for fatalities. There have also been four deaths involving vehicles this year police don’t count toward the yearly total — one that was reclassified because the crash was caused by a medical condition, another because the victim died of natural causes, one because it occurred within the boundaries of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, in federal jurisdiction, and a fourth caused by a tractor rollover on private property.
DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue islandwide, police said.