With Traffic Fatalities Up 85 Percent Over Last Year, Police Urge Public to Drive Safely This Holiday Season

With traffic fatalities up 85 percent over last year’s total, the Hawai‘i Police Department is teaming up with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to remind drivers: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over during this busy winter holiday season. In support of Hawai‘i Police Department’s dedication to protecting the lives of residents in our island’s communities, drivers will see officers working together during the holiday season to take drunk drivers off our the road.

Alcohol-impaired driving is deadly and continues to be a factor in fatal traffic crashes here on island. Of the 905 DUI arrests as of December 8, 2024, 211 of them involved crashes where alcohol was an identified factor. Worse still, there have been 28 traffic fatalities so far this year, an 85.7 percent increase over the 15 traffic deaths for all of 2023. Of those 28 deaths, 10 have been alcohol related with 4 cases still awaiting test results.

“Drunk driving is deadly and illegal, and it should never be an option for getting home,” said Torey Keltner, Program Manager for Hawai‘i Police Department’s Traffic Services Section.

“We want our community to have a joy-filled holiday season, and we want everyone to do so responsibly. That means refraining from drinking and driving. There are too many choices for a safe ride home. Use them,” he added.

Drivers should be safe during the holidays by planning ahead if they intend to drink. They shouldn’t wait until after drinking to plan how to get somewhere. Impairment clouds a person’s judgment. Drivers should secure a designated sober driver or call a taxi or rideshare for a sober ride home.

If a driver finds they are unable to drive, they should give their keys to a sober driver so that person can get them home safely. When a friend has been drinking and is considering driving, friends should be proactive — take away the keys and help them get a sober ride home. If anyone spots a drunk driver, contact local law enforcement.

Hawai‘i Police Department wants all drivers to remember this lifesaving message: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.