Hawaii Island police arrested 40 drivers for suspected drunken driving between Dec. 9 and Sunday; eight were involved in traffic accidents; one was younger than 21.
Police have made 1,278 suspected DUI arrests this year compared with 1,419 during the same period in 2012, according to the Hawaii County Police Department.
Kona officers arrested 23 motorists while South Hilo and Puna officers arrested seven in each district, according to police. South Kohala officers arrested two motorists while Ka‘u officers arrested one.
There have been 1,268 major accidents this year compared with 1,397 during the same period in 2012. To date, there have been 25 traffic fatalities on Big Island public roadways compared with 37 at this time in 2012. To date, five of the fatalities have been related to drugs; two to alcohol and six to a combination of alcohol and drugs, according to police.