Maui Police Plan Memorial Day Impaired Driving Enforcement Campaign

Memorial Day Traffic Enforcement. Graphic by Wendy Osher.

By Maui Now Staff

The Maui Police Department will be promoting safe driving and conducting an impaired driving enforcement campaign over the Memorial Day weekend.

The enforcement will include several Intoxication Control Checkpoints set up by the department’s DUI Task Force Unit. The enforcement of speed limit, distracted driver (cell phone), and seat belt laws will also be increased as a part of this campaign.

In a press release announcement, Maui Police Traffic Section Sergeant Nick Krau said, “The unfortunate truth is this: many people might be making plans for Memorial Day, but they aren’t planning ahead about returning home. If you don’t designate a sober driver ahead of time or have a solid plan for how you’ll get home safely, you are setting yourself up for disaster.”

Police said, “While the legal consumption of alcohol is acceptable in our society, impaired driving is never acceptable and it will not be tolerated.”

To address this concern, the Maui Police Department’s Traffic Section and Patrol Districts will be enhancing traffic enforcement operations throughout Maui County.

“While traffic enforcement is always a priority for our Traffic Section, motorist can expect to see an increase to our normal enforcement activities,” said Sgt. Krau.

Police say their goal of conducting traffic enforcement campaigns is to gain voluntarily compliance of all traffic laws and to save lives.

So far this year there have been four fatalities on Maui County roads, compared to 13 reported at the same time last year.

Although, this is a reduction of nearly 70% in traffic fatalities police said, “we are far from reaching our goal of zero preventable traffic related deaths.”

Sgt. Krau offered the following tips to help keep roads safe:

• Plan a safe way home before you start drinking.
• 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.

“Remember, impaired driving crashes are 100% preventable,” said Sgt. Krau.