Nearly 30 motorists arrested for DUI during week of Feb. 24-March 3

The number of impaired drivers arrested on Big Island roadways so far in 2025 through March 3 has increased nearly 2% from last year already.

Hawai‘i Police Department officers have made a total of 171 arrests of motorists driving under the influence of an intoxicant during the first two full months of the year.

While it’s just 3 more than during the same time period in 2024, it represents a 1.8% hike in DUI citations.

During the week of Feb. 24-March 3 alone, 26 motorists were arrested for DUI — 7 involved in traffic crashes and 2 younger than 21 years old.

Kona edged out Hilo for the most DUI arrests during the week, 11-10; however, Hilo is far-and-above the leader so far this year with 73 of the total arrests, 22 more than No. 2 Kona and its 51 and a whopping 42 more than No. 3 Puna with its 31 DUI citations.

Those 26 DUI arrests made last week is also a massive 42% spike from the 15 Big Island police made during roughly the same time last year during the week of Feb. 26-March 3, 2024.

Police reported a total of 170 DUI arrests for the year by the end of that same week last year compared with 177 during the first 2 full months of 2023, representing a 4% decrease.

That means there has been nearly a 6 percentage point swing in DUI arrests in 2 years and the island is essentially just 7 arrests away from basically wiping out any decreases gained since 2023.

Hawai‘i Police Department’s Traffic Services Section also reviewed all updated crashes and found 160 major crashes reported so far this year, 2 fewer, or 1.2% less, than the 162 major crashes during the same time period in 2024.

There have been 7 fatal crashes and 8 fatalities so far in 2025 on Big Island roadways. There have been no non-traffic crash fatalities — those that don’t happen on a public roadway — this year.

The same number of fatal crashes and non-traffic crash fatalities were recorded by this time last year; however, there has been 1 more fatality in 2025 compared within the first 2 full months of 2024, representing a 14.3% increase.

DUI roadblocks and patrols will continue islandwide.