The death toll on Hawaii roadways continues to climb, with 70 traffic-related fatalities already tallied at the halfway mark.
That’s close to a 50 % increase over the same time last year, when there were 47 traffic-related fatalities, according to preliminary statistics from the Hawaii Department of Transportation, putting the state on track to surpass totals from the previous five years.
State officials are bracing for more, with summer still underway.
The period between Memorial Day and Labor Day—the “100 deadliest days of summer ”—is when traffic accidents, especially those involving teens, tend to increase significantly nationwide.
Safety advocates are at a loss for exactly why these numbers have skyrocketed, but DOT data show alcohol, drugs and speeding continue to be the highest contributing factors to collisions, followed by inattention.
“Ultimately, it’s a crisis, ” said Makena Young, program manager of Mothers Against Drunk Driving Hawaii. “It is absolutely disconcerting to see we are having more people reaching out to us. We do not want to see people losing another loved one. We’re here to support them, but it’s not a call we continue to want to get.”
With MADD Hawaii’s permission, DOT is sharing the names of victims on electronic message boards along highways this summer to remind motorists of the deadly consequences of driving while impaired.
The messages say, “Pa ‘ina (party ) responsibly, remember Azalia ” and “If you drink, don’t drive, remember Brian Paulette.”
Azalia Park was just 21 years old, and in a marked crosswalk near Aloha Stadium in December 2020, when she was struck by an alleged drunk driver, on her way to see Christmas lights.
Brian Paulette was just 15 years old, riding his moped a few blocks from home in Kaneohe, when he was hit by the driver of a Ford pickup truck.
More than 30 years later, his mother Theresa Paulette still has that tragic day indelibly marked in her memory—Sept. 2, 1992. The driver had previously had six prior DUI arrests, she said.
“Nobody every thinks it’s going to happen to them including the victim’s families, ” said Theresa Paulette. “We all think it’s going to happen to somebody else. Then we’re just in shock and grief when it happens to us.”
MADD believes putting the names of real people out there is more effective than just numbers in getting the message out.
Honolulu police will continue to set up impaired driver checkpoints this month through Aug. 31 at undisclosed times and locations across Oahu.
Trending higher More than half of the traffic fatalities occurred on Oahu, which stands out, with a current count of 41, more than double the 15 reported at the same time last year.
Statewide, fatalities are also trending higher across several categories—for pedestrians, with 24 compared to 16 at the same time last year ; for motorcyclists, with 18 compared to 10 the same time last year ; and for bicyclists, with five compared to three the same time last year.
DOT added a new category, other nonoccupants, for those on skateboards, one-wheel mobility devices, and foot scooters. To date, there have been three fatalities in the new category.
Among recent tragedies are the death of a 25-year-old passenger in a car that collided with another that ran a red light on Kahuapaani Street in Aiea on the Fourth of July. On Wednesday, a 22-year-old man died after at a high speed into a concrete wall in Kailua.
On June 17, a head-on collision between two cars on Kamehameha Highway in Punaluu resulted in two deaths at the scene—a 28-year-old woman driving and her female passenger, age 19.
A week later, another passenger, also 28, died from critical injuries she suffered in the collision.
Police said none were wearing their seat belts, and speed appeared to be a contributing factor, although an investigation is ongoing.
Some fatal collisions involved drivers under the influence, including one in Mililani and another on Moanalua Freeway in Aiea.
There have been a higher count of pedestrian fatalities, as well as pedestrians critically injured by vehicles on Hawaii roads.
Surfer Dakota Briley, 20, continues to fight for his life after being struck by an 18-year-old driver June 14 on the shoulder of Kameha meha Highway in Haleiwa.
He was pinned between two cars, and suffered a serious brain injury, multiple fractures, and damage to his spinal cord, according to family and friends on his.
Police have not shared the cause for the collision, but said speed, drugs or alcohol did not appear to be contributing factors.
Vision Zero The Hawaii Department of Health, meanwhile, has launched a public service announcement on its “Vision Zero ” campaign seeking to eliminate all traffic deaths and serious injuries in the state.
The number of these crashes has not declined since 2015, according to Vision Zero. The high number so far this year is alarming, said Justin Menina, DOH’s physical activity coordinator.
“It’s a very tragic, abysmal state of affairs, ” Menina said. “As you may know, give or take, the past decade, we’ve seen about 100 fatalities each year on Hawaii’s roads.”
That’s the equivalent of more than one traffic fatality per week, with people that walk, bike, or roll on mobility devices the most vulnerable, according to Vision Zero. Pedestrians make up more than a third of fatalities on Oahu.
The Vision Zero mission is to create safer roads that protect all users, which include lower speed limits, raised crosswalks, and protected bike lanes to ultimately to achieve zero fatalities and serious injuries.
All users at the same time need to accept that it’s a shared responsibility.
It’s very much possible, according to Menina, with proven success in other cities such as Hoboken, N.J., and Oslo, Norway.
At the same time, having safe routes to walk, bike, and roll to get to everyday destinations is important for a healthy lifestyle, he said.
Surpassing 100 After a to the year, however, Hawaii is on pace to surpass 100 traffic fatalities by year’s end, possibly superseding the 10-year high of 120 in 2016. Previous to that, the highest numbers were at 140 in 2005 and 161 in 2006.
DOT continues to roll out speed humps across the state in an effort to slow drivers down, and is preparing to issue its first citations from speeding cameras in October.
Despite these efforts, traffic fatalities appear to continue rising rapidly in Hawaii, heading in the opposite direction of zero deaths.
Mothers from MADD Hawaii vow to continue working toward putting an end to preventable fatalities in the islands.
Chanda Park, mother of Azalia Park, , a nonprofit that provides rideshare serv ices to impaired guests at large events and continues to raise awareness about responsible driving.
“It’s OK to celebrate—just celebrate responsibly, ” Park said. “I’m not telling people what to do and what not do. Drink if you’re going to drink. Just don’t drive. It’s just so simple and it’s a choice. Plan ahead. Even if you’re not planning ahead, just know there are options out there.”
Ultimately, she said people are not driving with aloha any more, and “we need to get back to that.”
Whether it’s been five years or more than 30 years after a drunk driving fatality, MADD said the impact of the loss for surviving family members never goes away.
“It’s a forever loss, ” said Theresa Paulette, a MADD advisory board member. “It’s a forever grief you carry with you and you learn to cope. You can make a choice and try to make a difference … We have to do better.”
TRAFFIC-RELATED DEATHS More than half of traffic-related deaths in Hawaii have occurred on Oahu. Statistics are shown by counties.
Jan. 1 to July 4, 2025 STATE HONOLULU HAWAII MAUI KAUAI Motor vehicle occupants 20 10 5 5 1 Pedestrian 24 14 5 5 1 Motorcycle /moped operators 18 12 3 2—Bicyclists 5 3 1——Other nonoccupants — 3 2——1 Total 70 41 14 12 3 — Includes skateboarders, monowheel riders, foot scooter operators.
Source : State Department of Transportation