Saint Patrick’s Day Impaired Driving Enforcement Campaign, March 15-20

St. Patrick’s Day traffic enforcement. Maui Now graphic.

The Maui Police Department will be conducting a St. Patrick’s Day impaired driving enforcement campaign starting on Tuesday, March 15 through Sunday, March 20, 2016.

Motorists can expect to see increased saturation patrols during all hours of the day and night which will include the use of unmarked patrol vehicles and sobriety checkpoints at various locations, according to Maui police.

Department officials released information saying the holiday has become one of the nation’s deadliest, with a dramatic spike in drunk-driving fatalities reported.

In 2014, on average, one person was killed every 53 minutes in a drunk-driving crash in the United States. That totaled 9,967 drunk-driving fatalities that year.

“We would like to support a safe and responsible celebration for the community we serve, and by concentrating our traffic enforcement efforts on impaired driving offenses during this period we hope to do just that,” police said in a department press release.

Police also issued a reminder about seat belts in which they said, “Being properly secured in a vehicle is the single most effective way to avoid being killed in a traffic crash.”

The minimum fine for not wearing a seat belt and/or not being properly restrained in a vehicle is $102. The driver will be issued the citation for any and all seat belt violations which occur in a vehicle.

Police also took the opportunity to remind the public about the state’s “Move Over Law,” in which drivers approaching an emergency vehicle that is stopped with its flashing emergency lights, shall: slow down to a safe speed, make a lane change into the adjacent lane or if possible, to two lanes over which leaves one lane between the driver and the emergency vehicle. If necessary, the driver shall come to a complete stop before making a lane change.

Maui Police Department DUI Task Force Sergeant Nick Krau is also asking for the public’s assistance in helping to keep our roadways safe for everyone by following the following tips:

• Plan a safe way home before you start celebrating.
• Before drinking, designate a sober driver. If you wait until you’re impaired, you’re more likely to make a bad decision.
• If you’ve been drinking, take a taxi, call a sober friend or family member.
• If you see an impaired driver on the road, call the Maui Police Department to report it. You could save a life.
• If you know someone who is about to drive while impaired, be a true friend and take their keys. Help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.