HONOLULU (KHON2) — Halloween is right around the corner, and City officials are asking the public to be extra cautious after a deadly year on Hawaii roadways.
The holiday is considered one of the busiest when it comes to pedestrians.
‘She was so confident in herself’: Loved ones remember 19-year-old killed on her way to work
Honolulu mayor Rick Blangiardi said the message of ‘Be safe, be seen” on Halloween is more important than ever after 72 deaths on Oahu roadways and 111 statewide in 2025.
“I don’t think I’ve ever at this microphone this serious before and it’s because as we’ve said,” Blangiardi said. “It’s just so unnecessary. It’s just carelessness. It’s not a matter of enforcement. It’s people getting distracted with phones, with e-bikes, with crazy things that go on.”
Honolulu police said they will be out in force to track both Driving Under the Influence cases as well as speeding violations during the Halloween weekend — vests and lights are not a bad idea for parents who are escorting their keiki as they are going trick-or-treating.
“Halloween is one of those events where, for HPD, it’s all hands on deck, right? Normally staffing at 100% all throughout the island. We also bring in support services that are normally either office workers or more investigators,” said HPD District 1 acting Capt. Steve Lin. “We are going to concentrate our efforts in that also, whether it be speed traps or just enforcement in general. Anything that we see that could be a safety hazard, we will address.”
“I’m begging people to pay attention, if you’re going out tomorrow night, be aware of what’s happening,” Blangiardi said. “We’re going to have more pedestrians out there than any other time of the year. So, I’m asking people to really be mindful of that, okay? We just don’t want anything bad to happen to anybody on our island.”
The Department of Transportation Services encouraged folks to use TheBus or Skyline to get to and from their destination if they are drinking. KHON2 asked if hours will be extended to midnight or 2 a.m. for those who will be out beyond the usual hours of operation.
‘Be Safe, Be Seen:’ Mayor Blangiardi delivers Halloween safety proclamation
“In our segment three, and maybe next year, we’ll do that. But it’s, we’re not doing it this year and I think that the best advice is to have a designated driver. If you don’t have a designated driver, have a rideshare,” DTS director Roger Morton said.
HPD said impaired driver checkpoints will continue through the rest of 2025 at unannounced times and locations in an effort to curb traffic injuries and fatalities.
