Year-round DUI checkpoints, more traffic patrols and other initiatives pushed drunken-driving arrests on O'ahu to a six-year high in 2005, Honolulu police and state officials said.

But while law officials and prevention advocates praised the police effort, the head of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Hawai'i worried that people seem to be ignoring the dangers of drinking and driving.

"This increase is also very disconcerting because it means there are dangerously large numbers of people still driving after drinking," said Connie Abram, executive director of the local MADD chapter. "While 3,282 drivers were arrested, we can sadly assume that thousands of other equally dangerous impaired drivers went undetected. This higher arrest rate suggests that many people are still not taking drinking and driving seriously."

Last year, Honolulu police made 3,282 drunken-driving arrests, up from 3,009 in 2004. By comparison, police made 2,341 arrests in 2003, 2,188 in 2002 and 2,166 in 2001.

Arrests were not up in all counties, however. Big Island DUI arrests fell, from 1,085 in 2004 to 1,069 last year. Arrest statistics from Maui and Kaua'i counties were not immediately available.

"Of course taking impaired drivers off the road is a good thing. It's what we're here for," said Honolulu police Capt. Jose Gaytan, head of the department's traffic division. "We want to emphasize to the public that it's a matter of everyone taking responsibility for their driving."

Statewide alcohol-related traffic deaths declined from 72 in 2003 to 43 in 2004, according to the state Department of Transportation. On O'ahu, the number fell from 32 in 2003 to 19 in 2004 — a drop of 41 percent.

Figures for 2005 are not yet available.

STRICTER ENFORCEMENT

Gaytan attributed the increased arrests to enforcement in each of O'ahu's eight patrol districts.

One tactic pairs experienced patrol officers with new officers to keep the pressure on drunken drivers.

Another strategy is DUI "saturation patrols," where small groups of patrol officers spend more than half of their entire shift looking for impaired drivers. Police also are re-evaluating where they put officers so as to account for "escape routes" that repeat offenders have discovered and use to navigate around police checkpoints.

On the Big Island, Chief Lawrence Mahuna credited the decline in arrests to community diligence. He expressed frustration with those who continue to drive under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

"They're still not getting the message. It's unfortunate," he said in a telephone interview. "I just wish these people understood that any kind of drug impairs. In my 33 years as a police officer, I always see the drunk guy walk away (from accidents) and the innocents suffer."

MORE SCOFFLAWS?

While increasing arrests indicate an effort by police to catch drunken drivers, some worry that the trend indicates more people are driving after drinking.

One of MADD's top legislative priorities involves repeat offenders, as research confirms that these drivers are "disproportionately responsible" for traffic deaths, Abram said.

MADD is also proposing legislation that would streamline the arrest procedure and enable police to spend more time on the road and less in the station processing DUI arrests.

MADD, the state Transportation Department and police work together to increase enforcement, improve education and ratchet up public awareness. Educational campaigns, increased sobriety checkpoints and common-sense advice are tools the agencies use.

The Transportation Department's "52/12" campaign provides money for county police to set up at least one checkpoint every week of the year. Traditionally in Hawai'i, roadblocks have been clustered around holiday weekends.

"Drunk drivers assume we just enforce during the holiday weekends," said Scott Ishikawa, DOT spokesperson.

According to the city prosecutor, first-time DUI offenders face a fine of $150 to $1,000, a mandatory 14 hours of substance-abuse counseling, 72 hours of community service and a 90-day license suspension — plus a night in jail.

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.