Police Remind Motorists to Drive Sober This Fourth of July Weekend

The Hawai‘i Police Department and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is reminding drivers that drinking and driving is deadly and never an option. Join NHTSA and in sharing this message for a safe celebration of Independence Day: Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.

Every year, the days around and including the Fourth of July holiday rank as one of the deadliest periods on the nation’s roads. Nationwide in 2024, there were 579 people killed in traffic crashes during the holiday period. From 2020 to 2024, there were 1,724 driver fatalities of the 2,719 total traffic fatalities nationally and 38 percent of those drivers were drunk.

So far this year, Hawaiʻi Police Department officers have made 382 arrests for driving under the influence, and 15 fatal crashes have claimed the lives of 17 people on Hawaiʻi Island. Behind every number is a family, a friend, and a community forever changed.

If your plans include alcohol or other impairing substances, plan for a sober ride home before the celebration begins. Choose a designated driver, use a rideshare or taxi, or stay with friends or family until you’re safe to drive.

Officers across Hawaiʻi Island will conduct increased traffic enforcement throughout the holiday weekend, focusing on impaired driving, speeding, seat belt use, distracted driving, and other dangerous behaviors. Remember: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

You can also take the Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation’s Safe Roads Challenge by downloading the free app for iOS or Android. The statewide program encourages safer driving habits by providing feedback on your trips, rewarding safe driving, and helping build safer roads for everyone across Hawaiʻi. Learn more and join the challenge at HDOT’s Hawaiʻi Safe Roads Challenge.

This Fourth of July, help keep our island roads safe for everyone. Buckle up, drive alert, celebrate responsibly, and do your part to ensure everyone makes it home safely.

Drive 100% percent sober, because Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving.