Police arrested 22 people on suspicion of driving under the influence of an intoxicant between Sept. 7 and Sunday. Six of those drivers were involved in traffic crashes, police said, and one was younger than age 21.
So far this year, there have been 743 DUI arrests compared with 839 during the same period last year, a decrease of 11.4 percent, according to the Hawaii Police Department.
Kona officers arrested a dozen drivers during the week while Puna officers arrested four. Officers in South Kohala and South Hilo arrested three motorists in each district.
There have been 1,043 major accidents so far this year compared with 1,132 during the same period last year.
So far in 2015, 15 people have died in traffic crashes on the Big Island’s public roadways. traffic fatalities so far this year, compared with nine during the same period last year. That is an increase of 66.7 percent.
Six of this year’s fatalities were related to drugs, police said, and three more to a combination of drugs and alcohol.