Hawai‘i’s Alcohol-Related Traffic Fatality Rate Outpaces National Average
HAWAI‘I’S ALCOHOL-RELATED TRAFFIC FATALITY RATE
OUTPACES NATIONAL AVERAGE
For more than 10 straight years, at least 40 percent of traffic fatalities in Hawai‘i
have involved drivers under the influence of alcohol
February 3, 2025 | Honolulu, Hawai‘i – From 2011-2022, at least 40 percent of traffic fatalities in Hawai‘i involved alcohol. During the same timeframe, the national average for alcohol-related traffic fatalities hovered between 35 and 36 percent, bumping up to 37 percent in 2022. Lowering the legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) for driving from 0.08 to 0.05 percent will serve as a general deterrent to intoxicated driving and prevent future deaths.
“We don’t like this trend at all; we’re moving in the wrong direction,” said Rick Collins, director of the Hawai‘i Alcohol Policy Alliance (HIAPA). “But, we are encouraged to see that our legislators have introduced four bills – Senate Bill 346, Senate Bill 1285, Senate Bill 1403, and House Bill 1084 – again this session that would lower the BAC.”
It was one year ago this week that efforts to lower the BAC gained significant traction when the House Committee on Transportation received written testimony from 79 individuals and organizations in support of a 0.05 BAC bill and only one in opposition. Among the notable organizations testifying were the National Transportation Safety Board, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, the Hawai‘i County Prosecutor's Office, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), and the Hawai‘i Bicycling League. In addition, personal stories from Ed Werner, Camlyn Pola, Charlene Brown, and others underscored the immeasurable impact the bill could have in saving lives and preventing future tragedies. While that measure made monumental progress, it ultimately failed.
With the exception of Utah where the legal BAC for driving was lowered to 0.05 percent in 2018, the United States is in the minority worldwide with its 0.08 limit. In August 2024, The New York Times journalist Dana G. Smith explored America’s high drunk driving limit and legislative efforts such as Hawai‘i’s to lower the BAC to 0.05. According to the article, “Several national groups, such as the National Transportation Safety Board, back the change. Even AB InBev, the largest beer company in the world, has said it isn’t opposed.”
“The death of these bills means more deaths on our roads,” added Collins. “It’s time to save lives, and our Hawai‘i legislature has a prime opportunity to make this a reality right now.”
About the Hawai‘i Alcohol Policy Alliance
The Hawai‘i Alcohol Policy Alliance (HIAPA or The Alliance) began in 2017 as a group of volunteers in different communities across the state coming together to “say no” to alcohol industry-initiated bills that would loosen alcohol regulations for their financial gain at the expense of the community’s well-being. Fiscally managed by the Hawai‘i Public Health Institute, HIAPA aims to educate the community and advocate for evidence-based, responsible alcohol policies to reduce youth use and reduce alcohol-related harms in our communities. For more information about The Alliance, visit www.hiapa.org. Join HIAPA on social media by following on Facebook, Instagram, and X (Twitter).
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