MEDIA RELEASE

For the year 2015, there were 1,064 DUI arrests compared with 1,158 in 2014, a decrease of 8.1 percent. The numbers of arrests by district were:

District For the Year 2014
Hāmākua          15
North Hilo        2
South Hilo      310
Puna            208
Ka’ū             17
Kona            405
South Kohala    101
North Kohala      6
Island Total: 1,064

There were 318 drivers arrested for driving under the influence of an intoxicant who were involved in traffic accidents in 2015 compared with 304 in 2014, an increase of 4.6 percent.

There were 79 drivers arrested for driving under the influence of an intoxicant who were under the age of 21 in 2015 compared with 68 in 2014, an increase of 16.2 percent.

There were 1,541 major accidents in 2015 compared with 1,530 in 2014, an increase of 0.7 percent.

There were 15 fatalities on Hawaiʻi Island (three of which had multiple deaths), resulting in 19 fatalities in 2015 compared with 11 fatal crashes resulting in 11 fatalities in 2014. This represents an increase of 36.4 percent for fatal crashes and 72.7 percent for fatalities.

Impairment was a factor in 13 fatalities in 2015. Of those, one involved alcohol, seven involved drugs and five involved both drugs and alcohol.

Six fatalities in 2014 were related to drugs only (3), alcohol only (0), or a combination of both (3), compared with 14 fatalities in 2013 related to drugs only (6), alcohol only (2), or a combination of both (6).

DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue island wide.