HPD reminds Oahu drivers about checkpoints, don’t drink and drive

HONOLULU—The Honolulu Police Department (HPD) will be conducting impaired driver checkpoints on Oahu throughout the months of September and October. The checkpoints will be set up at unannounced times and locations from Wednesday, August 31 through Tuesday, November 1, including (but not limited to) the Labor Day and Halloween weekends.

The HPD is reminding the public not to drink and drive and that the legal drinking age is 21. Promoting intoxicating liquor to a person under the age of 21 is a misdemeanor punishable of up to one year imprisonment.

As of August 24, 35 people have been killed in 33 traffic collisions on Oahu so far this year. Speed, alcohol, and/or drugs were factors in at least 15 of those crashes. During the same period in 2010, 38 people were killed in 38 vehicle collisions; of those, 21 collisions had speed, alcohol, and/or drugs as contributing factors.

Honolulu police officers have been conducting impaired driver checkpoints every week throughout the year as part of the federal “52/12” sobriety checkpoint program.