Deadly Toll of Motor Vehicle Crashes in Hawaii

Motor vehicle crashes, which result in an average of 58 deaths per year, are the fourth leading cause of fatal injuries to Hawaii residents. Injury data strongly indicate that risk-taking behavior among young men and the state’s dark, narrow highways combine to increase the danger of preventable accidents.

About one-third of the fatal crash victims (32 percent) were 15 to 24 years of age, and most (73 percent) were males. Lack of restraint use was a major risk factor for occupant fatalities; less than half of the victims (47 percent) were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. Restraint use was especially low among back seat passengers (25 percent).

Speeding was the most common contributing factor, observed in 41 percent of crashes. Substance abuse also contributed significantly: 40 percent of drivers involved in fatal crashes tested positive for alcohol, and 23 percent tested positive for drugs. The peak age for alcohol use among drivers was between 21 and 24, with 56 percent of these young drivers testing positive for alcohol. More than half of the fatalities from car crashes were related to alcohol consumption by at least one driver.

The risky behavior cited above was often exacerbated by the narrow, dark, back highways with poor visibility found in Hawaii and Kauai counties, where fatality rates were more than four times higher than those for the much more densely populated Honolulu County. Furthermore, more than half of the fatal crashes (57 percent) occurred at night, and 61 percent involved only a single vehicle.

At Cronin, Fried, Sekiya, Kekina & Fairbanks, Attorneys at Law, we feel Hawaiian authorities can reduce the incidence of fatal crashes by increasing sobriety checkpoints and enforcing the seat belt law. Other fixes, such as widening highways, constructing dividers and illuminating roadways, would require a greater expenditure of resources. In the meantime, Hawaii residents can help themselves by buckling up, observing speed limits and refraining from drinking when driving.

If you are injured in a car accident, our experienced attorneys can help. To schedule a free consultation, call 808.524.1433 or contact our Honolulu office online.