12-27-19 Daniel K. Inouye Highway enhanced traffic enforcement (Update)

News Release from Hawaiʻi County Police Department, December 27, 2019  

Police assigned to be in place for the TMT protestor blockade and encampment on Mauna Kea access road have concluded the stepped up traffic enforcement phase on Daniel K. Inouye Highway (Route 200) which began on August 15, 2019. 

The final efforts of police during this enhanced project covering the weeklong period of Thursday (December 12, 2019) to Wednesday (December 18, 2019) resulted in the issuance of an additional 311 traffic citations and 4 suspects arrested for 8 offenses.  The 311 citations were categorized as follows:

Speeding (177)
Excessive Speeding (1)
Seatbelt (10)
Child Restraint (3)
Cellular Phone/Electronic device (2)
Tint (4)
No Driver’s License (9)
No Insurance (11)
Unsafe vehicle (11)
Other moving violation (6)
No License plate (4)
Regulatory (73)
Parking (0)

The 8 arrested offenses were categorized as follows:

Contempt/Failure to appear warrants (7)
Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (1)

The combined total of the 18-week long Daniel K. Inouye Highway enhanced traffic enforcement efforts by Hawaiʻi Police Department stood at 8,324 citations issued and 78 persons arrested for 143 offenses. With the development that the Thirty Meter Telescope project will not move equipment or start construction “in the near future,” Hawaiʻi Police Department concluded the enhanced traffic enforcement effort.  Police have resumed routine enforcement and presence on Daniel K. Inouye Highway primarily by Traffic Enforcement Unit officers, as was the case before the protest activity began in July.

The four-month enhanced traffic enforcement final tally of 8,324 citations and 143 arrested offenses is distributed as follows:

Speeding (3,878)
Excessive Speeding (53)
Seatbelt (523)
Child Restraint (57)
Cellular Phone/Electronic device (90)
Tint (185)
No Driver’s License (269)
No Insurance (334)
Unsafe vehicle (364)
Other moving violation (207)
No License plate (251)
Regulatory (2,105)
Parking (8)

The 143 arrested offenses were categorized as follows:

Contempt/Failure to appear warrants (66)
Revocation of Probation Release warrants (5)
Revocation of Release warrants (1)
Habitually Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (1)
Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (22)
Resist Order to Stop Motor Vehicle (3)
Reckless Driving (2)
Excessive Speed (6)
Driving with a Revoked License (3)
No Driver’s License (8)
No Insurance (10)
Open Container of Alcohol (3)
Promoting a Dangerous Drug (3)
Promoting a Harmful Drug (1)
Promoting a Detrimental Drug (1)
Drug Paraphernalia (2)
Child Restraint (1)
Unsworn Falsification (1)
Failure to Provide Identification (1)
Theft II (2)
Disorderly Conduct (1)

A review was conducted of the reported Daniel K. Inouye Highway traffic crashes that occurred during the four month span of August 15, 2019 to December 18, 2019, that the enhanced traffic enforcement project covered, and compared with the crashes that occurred in the past three years at the same time period.  Accidents that involved a rock being kicked up by a vehicle tire were omitted.  The following are the results:

2019

Seven traffic accident reports were initiated; three involved an animal being struck on the roadway. Three vehicles ran off the roadway, one crash required EMS transport to a Hospital after report of pain.  No crashes involved a rollover.

2018

Four traffic accident reports were initiated; one involved a driver swerving to avoid animal on roadway. Three vehicles were involved in a rollover (inclusive of the vehicle that swerved to avoid an animal on the roadway).  Two crashes required EMS transport to the hospital.

2017

Twelve traffic accident reports were initiated; five involved an animal being struck on the roadway, another involved a vehicle swerving to avoid an animal. Four crashes involved a vehicle running off the road (inclusive of the vehicle that swerved to avoid an animal on the roadway).  One vehicle involved a rollover. Three crashes required EMS transport to the hospital.

2016

Seven traffic accident reports were initiated; one involved an animal being struck on the roadway. Two vehicles ran off the roadway, one vehicle involved in a rollover. One crash required EMS transport to the Hospital, another private transport to the Hospital.

Police use this opportunity to remind motorist that the most common contributing factor in traffic related fatalities are speed and failure to use a seatbelt (child restraint inclusive).  Additionally a primary factor on vehicle rollovers is speed.   As noted in the statistical data above the unexpected encounter with wildlife (typically a sheep or goat) on Daniel K. Inouye Highway accounted for slightly more than one third of the reported crashes.

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WHT: The enforcement effort began Aug. 15 and concluded Dec. 18