The number of Hawaii Island residents caught driving under the influence is down from last year, but police say that doesn’t mean people are drinking and driving any less.
The Hawaii County Police Department announced earlier this week there have been 213 DUI arrests this year compared with 310 during the same period last year, a decrease of 31.3 percent.
Hawaii County Police Sgt. Robert Pauole said that decrease, however, does not represent an overall decline in people driving under the influence.
“They’re still out there,” he said. “Probably significantly the same amount, if not more.”
Pauole said the smaller number of arrests could be a result of fewer patrol officers on the ground when the incidents occur.
And while DUI arrests are down, police officials report traffic fatalities have increased by 66.7 percent over this time last year. There have been five traffic fatalities so far this year, compared with three during the same period a year prior. Two of the five fatalities were related to drugs, according to the report.
As for the increased fatalities, Pauole said that number varies often depending on the number of people involved in a single crash.
There also appears to be a decrease in the number of major accidents, as well. Officials report there have been 316 major accidents so far this year compared with 391 during the same period last year. That’s a decrease of 19.2 percent.
This year, a fiery head-on collision on Queen Kaahumanu Highway killed three teenagers and injured two others.
The incident occurred early Valentine’s Day when the driver of a southbound vehicle crashed head on with a pickup truck north of Hina Lani Street in Kona, according to police.
Police determined speed was a factor in the incident, but toxicology reports are still pending and investigators do not yet know if drugs or alcohol played a role.
A recent report said police arrested 12 motorists and one boater for driving under the influence from March 16 through Sunday. Hawaii County officials also reported two of the drivers were involved in traffic crashes and one was younger than 21.
Pauole advised island residents to always drive with caution in order to prevent future accidents and fatalities.