Honolulu police today launch a new offensive against the holiday-season scourge of driving under the influence, venturing into the relatively uncharted waters of online publishing of DUI suspects by name and photo.

It's the latest effort by the Honolulu Police Department to keep our roads safe, by tapping into the power of shame as a deterrent against driving while intoxicated. The goal is commendable. But the DUI site is also an aggressive tactic that has raised questions about fairness for those who might be later acquitted or have charges dismissed.

HPD should proceed with care, monitoring its efforts to see if the Web site is getting the desired results. The site will be linked to the main HPD portal (http://honolulupd.org), and as of 10 a.m. today, there should be the first roster of suspects posted.

The page will carry the disclaimer: "They are considered innocent unless or until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by a judge or jury."

It's an important detail. Unfortunately, the link to the page — a button labeled "O'ahu's Drunk Drivers" — isn't as accurate. A label that says "O'ahu DUI Arrests" or something similar, would be more precise. After all, those listed have not yet been convicted.

Will this effort work? Police Maj. Thomas Nitta, who heads the traffic division, said that while alcoholics or addicts may not respond to such deterrence, the average person whose judgment might lapse at a holiday party could be persuaded to avoid drinking and driving.

That's a reasonable assumption worth testing. HPD plans to run the pilot project for six months before deciding whether to continue and/or expand it, Nitta said.

However, it would be wise to check the numbers of DUI arrests sooner than that — perhaps right after the holiday season — to get a sense of whether it's having an effect.

The police have considered the repercussions and were smart to limit the postings to a 24-hour period. A similar program in Nassau County, N.Y., was temporarily halted by the courts because the roster was kept online for much longer, and that was deemed excessive.

But the city would seem to be on firmer ground here. The information being posted is public information anyway. And there's precedent: Newspapers across the country, especially those in small communities, already publish suspects' names and photos, once charged. These often appear in print and online.

Hawai'i officials for Mothers Against Drunk Driving acknowledge that there are no data compiled to prove the postings will stop people from getting behind the wheel when they're not sober. But they support the initiative because, said Hawai'i chairman Arkie Koehl, they "intuitively" believe that it will deter some people.

Assuming the police department is open to public input to ensure the fairness of the system, this can be a worthy experiment. A single life saved this way would prove its value.