Police have increased their presence on the Daniel K. Inouye Highway since June 4, in response to five recent fatalities on the Big Island’s main east-west traffic artery and the declaration of a traffic emergency by the state.

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Police have increased their presence on the Daniel K. Inouye Highway since June 4, in response to five recent fatalities on the Big Island’s main east-west traffic artery and the declaration of a traffic emergency by the state.

That increased presence is purposely conspicuous, according to police, with officers conducting focused enforcement operations to ensure adherence to traffic laws and safe driving habits.

“I’d like to think that it’s working — increased visibility of police officers out there, increased enforcement,” Hawaii Police Department Deputy Chief Sherry Bird said Wednesday.

According to police, during the first four days of stepped-up enforcement, between June 4-7, officers assigned to DKI Highway pulled over 316 drivers and issued the following citations: 269 for speeding; three unspecified moving violations; four for reckless driving; one for passing on the shoulder; one for using an electronic device while driving; four for lapsed motor vehicle registration; and 129 “other violations.” One driver also was arrested.

Bird said four officers from each side of the island have been reassigned to the highway policing effort, “predominately from patrol but also our traffic enforcement unit and possibly some community policing officers.”

“We looked at the times of the most recent traffic fatalities and when they occurred, so for now it’s from 6 in the morning to 9 p.m. that we’re running those operations,” she said. “We took the time of the earliest traffic fatalities and started a couple of hours earlier to a couple of hours later than the time of the latest fatalities.”

Bird said that the enforcement project is currently scheduled to run through June 21.

“But that doesn’t mean that after June 21, there won’t be any officers up there. That’s not the case at all,” she added.

HPD said officers will continue to target hazardous violations, including speeding, impaired, distracted and reckless driving, seat belt violations, and other unsafe behaviors known to contribute to serious traffic crashes.

Drivers on the highway should be aware that as part of the traffic emergency response, the state Department of Transportation is currently making safety improvements in areas along DKI where the fatalities occurred. Those areas are considered construction zones, which are subject to lower speed limits along with lane closures.

Motorists are urged to stay alert for flaggers and construction equipment and to exercise caution.

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Part of the roadway upgrades include the installation of open-graded friction course — a highly porous asphalt mix that allows water to drain into the pavement instead of ponding on the surface. The state Department of Transportation said the aggregate reduces incidents of hydroplaning, which appears to be the cause of the latest fatality on the highway.

Bird noted the aggregate has been applied on Highway 19 in the horseshoe gulches between Hilo and Hamakua.

“I travel that route very frequently, and I’ve found it to be very helpful, especially when it’s raining,” she said. “It seems that your vehicle tires can get more traction on those surfaces.

“I will say I’m not an auto expert or a roadway expert or anything like that, but that’s my personal experience.”

Another measure being taken by DOT is the installation of two speed cameras. The registered owners of vehicles going 11 mph or more above the speed limit will be sent a violation letter.

Drivers who witness other drivers speeding or engaging in other unsafe driving behaviors can also contact police to request a violation letter be sent to the vehicle’s registered owner by emailing [email protected].

Requests should include: description of the violation, vehicle description, license plate number and the date, time and location of the incident.

Bird said the violation letters are for the vehicle owner’s awareness and don’t carry the force of a ticket.

“Sometimes, we let people borrow our cars, and we might not know the driving pattern of the people borrowing our cars,” she said. “So, if the person who borrows the car is speeding or driving recklessly and somebody reports it, we send the registered owner a letter letting them know what the complaint was. It’s basically to put the registered owner on notice as to what happened.

“Our ultimate goal is to ensure safety on the roadways and we ask everybody to participate in that.”

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Email John Burnett at [email protected].