898 Citations, 43 Arrests During Holiday Drive Sober Campaign

Impaired Driving Enforcement. Maui Now graphic.

The Maui Police Department issued 898 traffic citations and made 43 arrests for driving while under the influence during the Holiday Season Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign.

The 18-day enhanced traffic enforcement campaign ran from Dec. 15, 2016 to Jan. 1, 2017 and included the following citations:

Operating a Vehicle Under the Influence of an Intoxicant arrests = 43
Uninsured Motorist citations issued = 118
Driving Without a Driver’s License citations issued = 101
Disregarding Red Traffic Light/Stop Sign citations issued = 42
Speeding citations issued = 126
Excessive Speeding (speeding in excess of 30 mph above the speed limit) citations issued = 57
No Child Passenger Restraint citations issued = 16
Other Miscellaneous traffic violations citations issued = 438

Police set-up 14 intoxication control checkpoints in various locations throughout Maui County during the campaign. In addition, police increased dedicated traffic enforcement saturation patrols using both marked and unmarked police vehicles.

The Maui Police Department partnered with the State Department of Transportation and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration during the Holiday Season Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign.

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over is a national campaign aimed at preventing traffic crashes that result in death, injury and economic loss due to impaired driving.

Police say all traffic laws were strictly enforced during this campaign with an emphasis being placed on impaired driving.

Although the Nationwide Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign has come to an end, police say the mission of the Maui Police Department Traffic Section has not. “We will continue to patrol our roadways around the clock and strictly enforce all traffic laws. Intoxication Control Checkpoints will continue to be utilized throughout our community on randomly selected nights at various locations,” said Maui Police Department Sergeant Nick Krau, with the department’s DUI Task Force.

“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 does not tolerate impaired driving in our community. Our goal is to gain the voluntary compliance of all traffic laws. By presenting an unmistakable show of force, and arresting impaired drivers who put lives at risk, we are hoping to get our point across,” said Sgt. Krau.

“The Maui Police Department’s Traffic Division and DUI Task Force Unit would like to thank those members of our community who have been supportive of our dedicated traffic enforcement efforts. We would also like to thank those who have helped us in our efforts to save lives and reduce injuries by driving responsibly and also using or being a designated driver,” said Sgt. Krau.