Drive Aloha Campaign Encourages Safe Driving

August 2018 is Drive Aloha month and motorists are being asked to drive cautiously as high school and college students head back to class.

Drive Aloha is a community effort to educate drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists to practice responsible, courteous, and safe habits and encourage positive behavior change. The safety campaign is designed to reduce the number of traffic-related accidents and make Hawai‘i’s roadways safer.

“With our keiki heading back to school, we felt the safety message is timely to remind everyone to be courteous with the increased vehicular and pedestrian traffic on our freeways and streets. But Drive Aloha is not just a seasonal traffic safety campaign; it’s meant to promote safe driving year-round,” said Michele Saito, DTRIC Insurance president and CEO.

Recent traffic accident statistics show that there were 106 statewide fatalities in 2017 related to traffic accidents. Of that figure, 60 were in motor vehicles at the time, 14 were pedestrians and 31 of those fatalities were while riding bicycles or motorized scooters.

While statewide traffic fatalities in 2017 were down from the previous year, “106 traffic deaths last year are still 106 too many,” said Saito.

The campaign aims to discourage bad commuting habits such as distracted driving through use of cell phones, running a red light, jaywalking, speeding and cutting off another driver, which all lead to accidents that could have been avoided through safer behavior.

By partnering with state, city and private agencies and organizations, Drive Aloha encourages people to take the safety pledge to be courteous drivers, embrace positive behaviors and practice the aloha spirit to make the road safer and friendlier for everyone.

Drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, and all commuters are urged to take the Drive Aloha pledge at www.drivealoha.com to demonstrate their commitment to practicing safer and more courteous road habits.

Drive Aloha is sponsored by DTRIC Insurance, Aloha Petroleum and Lex Brodie’s Tire Shop. Other campaign partners include the Hawai‘i Departments of Transportation and Education, and the Hawai‘i Government Employees Association (HGEA).