37 Drunken Drivers Arrested Last Week

Big Island police last week arrested 37 motorists for drunken driving, the most in a week-long period since mid-August.

Of last week’s arrests, the most, 19, occurred in South Hilo, which includes the city of Hilo and its environs. There were 10 drunken-driving arrests in Kona.

Kona has had the most drunken-driving arrests this year with 439, followed by 392 in South Hilo.

The arrests brought the year’s total to 1,062, a 3.1% drop from this time last year.

Seven of the drivers arrested last week were involved in traffic crashes. Four were under the age of 21.

The number of major accidents so far in 2012 stands at 1,089, up 5.2% from the 1,035 crashes at this point last year.

Police said there have been 30 traffic fatalities on public Big Island roadways this year, with half of those connected to impaired driving. Six were related to drugs, three to alcohol and six to a combination of both.