MEDIA RELEASE

During the week of May 19, 2009, through May 25, 2009, Big Island police arrested 25 motorists for drunk driving. Five of the drivers were involved in a traffic crash.

So far this year, there have been 525 DUI arrests compared with 556 during the same period last year, a decrease of 5.6 percent. The numbers of arrests by district were:

DUI Arrests by District

District	Weekly Total	Year to Date
Hāmākua 	0               2
North Hilo	0		0
South Hilo	4		160
Puna    	6		61
Ka'u    	1		21
Kona    	12		228
South Kohala	1		40
North Kohala	1		13

Island Total	25		525

There have been 652 major accidents so far this year compared with 732 during the same period last year, a decrease of 10.9 percent.

So far this year, there were eight traffic fatalities on the Big Island compared with 11 during the same period last year, a decrease of 27.3 percent.

DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue island wide.