The Honolulu Police Department re-imagined its traffic enforcement this year and will continue to set up impaired-driver checkpoints in strategic locations around the island in an effort to reduce the number of critical and fatal crashes.
As of Dec. 28, there have been 34 critical and 46 fatal collisions on Oahu compared with 29 critical and 53 fatal crashes in 2020, and 30 critical and 50 fatal traffic incidents in 2019, according to HPD.
The three biggest factors in those crashes were impaired driving, speeding and distracted driving, Capt. James Slayter of HPD’s Traffic Division told the Honolulu Star- Advertiser in a statement.
Using data collected from the department’s records management system and Traffic Division data related to critical and fatal crashes, HPD increased enforcement visibility in certain “hot spots” and emphasized educating drivers rather than always citing them, according to Slayter.
HPD also dramatically increased the number of sobriety checkpoints around the island by 56% this year, with officers arresting 432 drivers at 512 checkpoints in 2021, compared with 169 in 2020 and 93 in 2019.
Officers have been conducting impaired-driver checkpoints every week since September and will continue to do so through September as part of the federal “52/12” program that aims to set up at least one sobriety checkpoint every week during the 12-month federal fiscal year.
“We believe these tactics helped to decrease our number of fatal collisions in 2021. We certainly saw a drop in the speed and impaired driving as factors. Speed as a factor was reduced by approximately 43% and alcohol by 60%. Although we have seen positive progress, we are certainly not yet satisfied … ,” Slater said.
“As a community, we can’t wait for someone else to fix this problem or for the problem to go away on its own because the next life lost could be yours or a loved one. We need everyone to do their part and commute safely this holiday season and throughout the new year. No excuses Hawaii.”
As of Dec. 20, 2,505 people had been arrested for driving under the influence, compared with 2,072 in 2020 and 3,652 in 2019. Additionally, HPD officers issued 29,908 speeding citations, 948 for reckless driving, 575 for racing and 6,652 for excessive speeding.
Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney Steve Alm reminded New Year’s celebrants that in addition to criminal penalties, motorists convicted of drunken driving face revocation of their driver’s license and auto insurance rate increases of up to $10,000 per year.
“With HPD on the lookout for drunk drivers over the holiday weekend and into the new year, it is important for those celebrating to have a plan in place to avoid making a fatal mistake. Take a taxi, Uber, or Lyft, or have a designated driver or other sober and responsible friend take you home,” Alm told the Star- Advertiser in a statement. “We will prosecute drunk drivers to keep the public safe.”
