‘Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over’: Drive safely this Labor Day Weekend

With traffic fatalities nearly double what they were by this time last year, Hawai‘i Police Department strongly urges residents and visitors to drive safely this Labor Day Weekend with its annual public awareness campaign “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.”

Patrol officers in Ka‘ū, the island’s largest district, sign-waved Tuesday afternoon and will again the afternoon of Sept. 1 as part of the campaign and remind motorists to drive safely.

“We want our community members to understand that it’s our first priority to keep people safe, so we’re asking everyone to plan ahead if they know they’ll be out drinking,” said Torey Keltner, program manager of the department’s Traffic Services.

Motorists also can expect increased patrols and sobriety checkpoints around the Big Island throughout the holiday weekend.

“Our officers are committed to keeping our roads safe and will be actively monitoring for impaired drivers,” said Keltner.

Labor Day Weekend is particularly deadly nationwide, with 490 fatal traffic crashes in 2022 during the 3-day weekend, the latest data available from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Of those fatal crashes, 39% involved a drunk driver.

There have been 19 fatal crashes resulting in 21 fatalities this year on the Big Island as of Aug. 27. Impairment from alcohol or drugs was a factor in 63% of those crashes.

There were 10 fatal crashes resulting in 11 fatalities recorded by this time last year.

In fact, there have been 636 total driving under the influence of an intoxicant arrests on the island through Aug. 25 compared with 624 during the same period last year, an increase of 1.9%.

Hawai‘i Police Department offers the following driving tips to have a safe Labor Day Weekend:

• Before heading out, decide on a safe ride home. Use public transportation, ride-share services or call a friend if you’re drunk or too high to drive.
• If you’re hosting an event, make sure your guests have access to safe transportation options.
• Be aware of the consequences: drunk driving offenders face fines, license suspensions and possible imprisonment.

“Our goal is to ensure that everyone can enjoy their Labor Day Weekend without the fear of impaired drivers on the road,” Keltner said. “We ask for everyone’s cooperation in making smart, responsible choices.”

If you see a drunk or high driver on the road, don’t hesitate. Call 9-1-1.