57 DUI Arrests During Maui’s Enforcement Campaign

Photo collage by Wendy Osher.

By Wendy Osher

Maui police arrested 57 motorists for driving while under the influence of an intoxicant as part of the national Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over enforcement campaign that ended yesterday.

The campaign ran from Aug. 15 to Sept. 1, and included 17 intoxication control checkpoints set up at unannounced times and locations, according to Maui police.

The campaign was aimed at preventing traffic crashes that result in death, injury and economic loss, according to DUI Task Force unit supervisor Sergeant Nick Krau.

“Too many families have already been devastated by the tragic, preventable deaths of loved ones in alcohol-involved crashes. We want to put an end to these tragedies. We participated in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign because we wanted to send a strong message–The Maui Police Department will not tolerate impaired driving in our community,” said Sergeant Krau in a department press release this morning.

“Our goal is to gain the voluntary compliance of all traffic laws and by presenting an unmistakable show of force, and arresting impaired drivers who put lives at risk we are hoping to get our point across,” he said.

During the 18-day campaign, Maui police also made more than 140 traffic warrant arrests, issued 220 citations to uninsured motorists, and delivered 112 citations to motorists driving without a license.

Maui police made a total of 240 traffic arrests during the campaign including the following:

• Operating a vehicle while under the influence of an intoxicant: 57 arrests
• Miscellaneous traffic crime: 41 arrests
• Traffic warrant: 142 arrests

Maui police issued a total of 1,255 traffic citations during the campaign including the following:

• Uninsured motorist: 220 citations
• Driving without a driver’s license: 112 citations
• Speeding: 139 citations
• Using a mobile electronic device (cell phone) while driving: 49 citations
• Miscellaneous traffic violations: 735 citations

Although the national campaign has come to an end, Maui Police will continue to patrol roads nightly and strictly enforce all traffic laws with intoxication control checkpoints to be set up on random nights at various locations, according to Sgt. Krau.