Maui Police Department’s Halloween Impaired Driving Enforcement Campaign begins today

The Maui Police Department’s Traffic Division will be out enforcing our zero-tolerance response to impaired driving as part of a Halloween Impaired Driving Enforcement Campaign that starts today, Friday, Oct. 28, 2022, and continues throughout the holiday weekend.

Saturation patrols, including impaired driving checkpoints, will be utilized to address impaired driving, speeding, and other dangerous driving behaviors. 

To date, Maui County has had 454 impaired driving arrests which include 19 habitual impaired driving arrests, compared to 478 impaired driving arrests this same time last year.

In the State of Hawaiʻi, an Impaired Driving arrest becomes a felony on the third arrest following two prior convictions within 10 years of the instant offense; or if a person was convicted of Habitual Impaired Driving one or more times within 10 years prior to the instant offense.

Maui County has seen a 14% increase in fatal motor vehicle crashes in 2022, with 80% being attributed to speeding and/or impaired drivers.   

“The Maui Police Department does not tolerate impaired driving. If you are caught driving impaired, you will be arrested,” police advised in a department press release.

“We need our community to help us end senseless, preventable injuries and deaths on our roadways by driving sober, ensuring that everyone in the vehicle is wearing a seat belt, and obeying the posted speed limits.”

The department is also asking motorists to report suspected impaired driving incidents to Main police. “We humbly request the public’s assistance; your support is critical to helping us make our roads safer and stopping preventable impaired driving deaths from occurring,” police said.

The department provided the following tips to motorists:

• Plan a safe way home before you start consuming intoxicants.
• If you have been consuming intoxicants, utilize a car service (Smartphone driven online transportation networks), take a taxi, or call a sober friend or family member.
• If you know someone who is impaired and intends to get behind the wheel, take their keys or help them make other arrangements to get to their next destination safely.