State officials expect to develop a strategic highway safety plan this year to cut down on traffic-related fatalities, which hit a 15-year high of 162 deaths in 2006.

More than 150 people gathered yesterday in Honolulu to discuss development of the plan, said Department of Transportation spokesman Scott Ishikawa.

The new safety plan is designed to bring together under one umbrella many ongoing efforts to reduce traffic deaths and injuries in Hawai'i, Ishikawa said.

"The consensus is that there's not just one fix for the problem," Ishikawa said. "You can't just focus on one thing at a time like speeding or driving under the influence. You've got to come up with a plan that brings everything together."

The 162 deaths statewide represented a 15 percent increase over the 141 fatalities in 2005. The increase did not include at least five traffic-related deaths that occurred on federal property and came despite a significant drop in the number of pedestrian fatalities last year, Ishikawa said.

Lt. Gov. James Aiona, state lawmakers, police from four counties and federal traffic safety officials were among the people attending yesterday's meeting, which was billed as a highway safety summit meeting.

The officials plan to meet again in February and draft a statewide strategic highway safety plan by midsummer, Ishikawa said.

Reach Mike Leidemann at mleidemann@honoluluadvertiser.com.