MEDIA RELEASE

During the week of February 17, 2009, through February 23, 2009, Big Island police arrested 22 motorists for drunk driving. One of the drivers was under the age of 21.

So far this year, there have been 176 DUI arrests compared with 200 during the same period last year, a decrease of 12 percent. The numbers of arrests by district were:

DUI Arrests by District

District	Weekly Total		Year to Date

Island Total	       22		176

North Kohala	       1		5

Hamakua	               0		0

North Hilo	       0		0

South Hilo	       6		35

Puna	               0		23

Ka'u	               1		9

Kona	               14		90

South Kohala	       0		14

There have been 236 major accidents so far this year compared with 272 during the same period last year, a decrease of 13 percent.

So far this year, there were five traffic fatalities on the Big Island compared with seven during the same period last year, an decrease of 29 percent.

DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue island wide.