A total of 21 traffic related fatalities have been tallied from the start of the year up to March 31, according to the latest preliminary statistics from the Hawaii Department of Transportation.

Of the total, six involved motor vehicle occupants, nine involved pedestrians, and six involved motorcycles. The majority, 11, occurred on Oahu.

The number is drastically lower than the same period last year, when the state tallied a total of 32 traffic related fatalities.

Many of the fatalities in March included lone operators.

Last Sunday in Waialua, a 64-year-old male motorcyclist lost control and crashed into the pavement on Waialua Beach Road. Speed appeared to be a factor.

On March 23, a 90-year-old woman collided into a concrete pillar while driving a silver Toyota sedan in a parking structure in the Makiki area. She was taken to an area hospital in critical condition, where she later died.

The statistics do not include a 21-year-old Lahaina man who was killed after losing control of his vehicle and going over a cliff in West Maui on Wednesday.

Traffic has decreased significantly since both Gov. David Ige and Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell have issued “stay-at-home” orders due to the coronavirus pandemic, which began in late March.

The mayor’s stay-at-home/work-from-home order went into effect at 4:30 p.m. on March 23. The governor’s stay-at-home and work-from-home order began March 26, and lasts through April 30, exempting essential workers.

In a press conference, Honolulu Police Department Chief Susan Ballard said there has been an increase in speeding following the orders due to wide-open roads with less traffic.