KAILUA-KONA — Forty-three percent of the island’s drunken driving arrests this year have occurred in the Kona District.
So far this year, Hawaii Police Department officers in the district, which includes both the physical North and South Kona areas, have arrested 219 motorists on suspicion of driving under the influence of an intoxicant. Islandwide, there have been 508 arrests this year, according to statistics released this week by the Hawaii Police Department.
Compared with nearly the same period in 2016, Jan. 1 through June 6, DUI arrests in the Kona District are up 17 percent from 186.
Behind the Kona District this year is South Hilo with 129 arrests and Puna with 119 arrests. South Kohala officers have arrested 28 drivers, Ka’u officers six, Hamakua officers five and North Hilo officers two. No motorists have been arrested in the North Kohala district.
To date there have been 19 traffic fatalities on Hawaii Island public roads compared with 10 during the same period last year. That’s an increase of 80 percent.