Maui police stepping up impaired driving enforcement this Halloween weekend

Maui Police Department says it will be enforcing its zero-tolerance campaign on impaired driving for the Halloween weekend, starting Friday.

There will be impaired driving checkpoints and saturation patrols, including the use of unmarked patrol vehicles, throughout this weekend, MPD said.

To date, MPD said it has made 478 impaired driving arrests, including 20 habitual impaired driving arrests, compared to 417 impaired driving arrests at the same time last year, a 15% increase.

MPD said what’s even more concerning is that Maui County has seen a 133% increase in fatal motor vehicle crashes in 2021, with 64% attributed to both speeding and impaired drivers.

“We need our community to understand: It is up to them to make the smart decision to drive sober and help put an end to these senseless preventable deaths occurring on our roadways,” said MPD in a news release. “The Maui Police Department does not tolerate impaired driving. If you are caught driving impaired, you WILL be arrested.”

In Hawaii, an impaired driving arrest becomes a felony on the third arrest following two prior convictions within 10 years of the instant offense, or if a person was convicted of habitual impaired driving one or more times within 10 years prior to the instant offense.

MPD is also asking for the public’s help in reporting someone suspected of driving impaired on Maui roads.

MPD offered the following tips:

>> Plan a safe way home before you start consuming intoxicants.

>> If you have been drinking, utilize Uber or Lyft, take a taxi, or call a sober friend or family member.

>> If you know someone who is about to drive while impaired, be a true friend and take his or her keys. Help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.

>> Help keep our roadways safe for everyone by making the smart choice to not drink and drive.