Hawaii Island DUI arrests drop 13% in 2026, but fatal crashes surge 53%
Hawaii Island police arrested 21 drivers for DUI in the week of Oct. 19–25. Fatal crashes are up 53% compared to the same period last year.
Hawaii Island sees fewer DUI arrests but sharp rise in fatal road crashes
Hawaii Island police arrested 21 motorists for driving under the influence during the week of 19 to 25 October 2026, according to hawaiipolice.gov. Eight of those drivers were involved in a traffic accident, and none was under the age of 21.
Year-to-date, the island has recorded 651 DUI arrests compared with 748 over the same period last year — a decrease of 12.97 percent.
Despite the drop in drink-driving arrests, fatal crash figures have moved sharply in the opposite direction. As of 25 October, there have been 26 fatal crashes resulting in 28 fatalities, against 17 fatal crashes and 18 fatalities recorded at the same point in 2025. That represents an increase of 52.94 percent in fatal crashes and 55.56 percent in fatalities.
Overall major crashes also fell slightly, with 793 recorded so far this year compared with 827 during the same period last year, a reduction of 4.11 percent, the Hawaii Police Department's Traffic Services Section reported.
Non-traffic fatalities — incidents occurring off public roadways — stood at zero, matching the figure for the same period last year.
DUI roadblocks and patrols are set to continue island-wide.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)