DUI arrests near 3,000
By Peter Boylan
Advertiser Staff Writer
Drunken-driving arrests on O'ahu are on pace to hit a five-year high, according to Honolulu police officers, who are ramping up enforcement and increasing the number of checkpoints in anticipation of a busy holiday season.
In 2003, 2,341 people were arrested on O'ahu for driving under the influence of alcohol, up from 2,188 in 2002 and 2,166 in 2001. Through October 2004, officers had made 2,503 arrests.
"We're on pace to get a little under 3,000. It is going to be a banner year for our impaired driving arrests," said Maj. Doug Miller, who heads the Honolulu Police Department's Traffic Division. "The willpower for so many people just isn't there and there are just too many drunks on the road."
Police said the increase in arrests is due to increased enforcement and does not necessarily mean more people are drinking and driving.
The number of traffic fatalities during the holiday season, from Thanksgiving to New Year's Day, also has risen statewide in the past two years. During that period in 2002, three of nine traffic fatalities involved alcohol, according to Mothers Against Drunk Driving. In 2003, six of 15 fatalities during that period involved alcohol.
"The holiday season is a time where celebrations increase so we ask people to plan ahead," said Connie Abram, executive director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving Hawai'i. "The holidays are meant to be joyous instead of full of heartbreak, and with a little planning ahead, people can ensure that their holidays do stay joyous and not haunted with sad memories for years to come."
With the holidays come countless public-service messages on the dangers of driving drunk. For many, these warnings can become background noise amid the shopping and parties. But for those affected by traffic accidents involving alcohol, they can be a painful reminder of tragedy.
Harriet Seabury, a 61-year-old Waimanalo resident, lost her husband two years ago in an accident that Honolulu police said remains open and is being investigated as a possible alcohol-related wreck. No arrests have been made in the case, Seabury said.
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In the early morning of Feb. 23, 2003, Ramus Seabury, 62, was killed in a head-on collision on Kamehameha Highway near his home as he drove to work at Marine Corps Base Hawai'i in Kane'ohe.
Harriet Seabury's husband, Ramus, died at the site of this shrine near Olomana Golf Links. The driver of the vehicle that collided head-on with Ramus Seabury's vehicle may have been drinking, police say.
Harriet Seabury and her children reached the accident scene before her husband's body was removed from the car.
"My husband made sure he took care of us. It's been really hard on the family still," she said. "He was ready to retire. Just when everything was coming together for him, when he could see the end of all his hard work, he got killed in the accident. People have to be careful "
Police said a 19-year-old Kailua man apparently fell asleep at the wheel near the entrance to Olomana Golf Links, crossed the center line and collided with Seabury's vehicle.
Police said alcohol was a factor in a one-car accident Saturday near Kawela Bay in which four men were hurt.
In anticipation of the holidays, HPD is increasing DUI checkpoints starting Thanksgiving Day and continuing through the New Year's, police said yesterday.
HPD's Miller said the roadblocks will be set up up every weekend on O'ahu starting Nov. 24 and will remain in position through Jan. 9, 2005. He said checkpoints will be set up almost daily between Dec. 17 and Jan. 3.
"We're very concerned about impaired drivers on the road," he said. "There are too many people dying at the hands of impaired drivers on the road. If we're out there making arrests we can save lives."
HPD's efforts add an extra element to a statewide program aimed at combating the problem.
Starting the last weekend in October, police departments from all four counties began a "52-12" program in which police put up a DUI roadblock every week for the next 12 months. Traditionally in Hawai'i, roadblocks have been clustered around holiday weekends. The 52-12 program puts a surprise element into the enforcement effort, officials said.
According to the city prosecutor, first-time DUI offenders face a fine of $150 to $1,000, a mandatory 14-hour substance abuse counseling session, 72 hours of community service, a 90-day suspended license, plus a night in jail.
Last year, 72 of the 133 traffic fatalities in Hawai'i involved alcohol, according to the state Department of Transportation and HPD. In 2002 there were 47 alcohol-related deaths out of 119 total traffic fatalities.
The state also saw an uptick in the number of young drivers killed on Hawai'i roads in alcohol-related accidents.
A study released in early October by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration found that nationally, fewer young drivers died in 2003, and that fewer of those deaths involved alcohol. However, Hawai'i deaths for drivers between the ages of 15 to 20 increased 68 percent, from 19 in 2002 to 32 in 2003.
State statistics for a similar age range — 15 to 24 years — also show an increase. In 2002, 32 Hawai'i traffic deaths involved young drivers. The number grew to 42 last year, according to the Department of Transportation. Alcohol-related deaths for that age group rose from 17 to 31.
Reach Peter Boylan at 535-8110 or pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.
