HPD targets those who flout traffic regulations

Advertiser Staff

The Honolulu Police Department is out in force this weekend, beginning a program that targets drunken drivers by concentrating on those who disregard traffic regulations.

The program, which will supplement the department's DUI roadblocks, will continue through the summer.

Teams of officers, called "saturation patrols" will be posted in selected parts of town.

The officers will look for motorists who disregard stop signs, who drive without headlights or whose safety checks have lapsed.

"We hope to detect a greater number of impaired drivers by increasing the number of contacts we have with motorists," said Maj. Bryan Wauke, of the department's traffic division. "The teams will work mostly at night, focusing on areas where previous collisions have occurred and where alcohol is likely to be served."

Alcohol has been a factor in 58 percent of fatal motor vehicle accidents this year, according to HPD statistics.