In Hawaii Fatal Crashes, Alcohol and Speed Are Leading Factors

The key to reducing fatal car crashes is understanding why they happen. In Hawaii, two factors leap out: alcohol consumption and excessive speed. According to statistics from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, (IIHS) Hawaii had 93 fatal crashes that took 102 lives in 2013. Of those victims, 21 were passenger car occupants, 21 were occupants of pickups or SUVs, three were large truck occupants, 17 were motorcyclists, 23 were pedestrians, and two were bicyclists.

The IIHS does not have statistics for alcohol use in all of these crashes, but it does have numbers for fatally injured drivers. In crashes where a driver was killed, and a blood alcohol test was performed, 42 percent of the drivers had blood alcohol content (BAC) above the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

But alcohol may not be the leading factor. A recent article from HONOLULU Magazine states that even though Honolulu has become highly congested, motorists are driving faster. Frustration over traffic delays may be making drivers more aggressive when roads do open up, prompting them to speed to make up lost time. According to Major Darren Izumo, a commander in the city’s traffic division, “The serious accident numbers this year (as of June 23, 2015) show that where speed is involved, 7 out of 29 were fatalities, whereas alcohol was involved in only three fatalities. Speed is more involved than alcohol now.”

What about a combination of alcohol consumption and excessive speed? This could account for the high percentage of fatalities that occur in single vehicle crashes, where motorists run off the road, often hitting fixed objects. In 2013, 70 percent of the fatalities came from single vehicle crashes.

One last factor to keep in mind is the failure to use safety restraints. The IIHS study revealed that 55 percent of fatally injured car occupants did not wear seat belts. This common-sense precaution may have saved a significant number of those lives.

When alcohol consumption and excessive speed lead to an accident, liability is clear. If you’ve been injured in a car crash in Hawaii, learn about your rights from an experienced attorney. Call Cronin, Fried, Sekiya, Kekina & Fairbanks, Attorneys At Law at 808.524.1433 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.