Big Island police arrested 19 motorists for suspected drunken driving June 21 and Sunday. Five of the drivers were involved in traffic crashes; two were younger than age 21.
Kona officers arrested seven drivers while Puna officers arrested six drivers and South Hilo officers four, according to data released Tuesday by the Hawaii Police Department. South Kohala officers arrested two drivers in the district.
So far this year, there have been 578 DUI arrests compared with 424 during the same period last year, according to police. Though the department notes arrests are up 36.3% year-over-year, there were fewer people on the roads during the COVID-19 pandemic. The number of arrests is actually up 4.9% from 551 in 2019.
There have been 381 major accidents so far this year compared with 394 during the same period last year.
As of Tuesday morning, 12 fatalities have been recorded on the Big Island’s public roadways this year, police said. By this time in 2020, 10 people had died.