Hawaii - Fatal Car Crash Statistics
Hawaii is small in size but still has a population of 1,431,603 according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), part of the IIHS, gathers data about fatal accidents across the country and provides a yearly report. The data is from the U.S. Department of Transportation through their Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). In 2015, Hawaii had 86 fatal crashes that resulted in 94 fatalities. That number reflects 6.6 deaths per 100,000 people.
While motor vehicle fatalities are on an upward trend nationally, the statistics show that Hawaii deaths in accidents declined in 2015. According to reports, 99 deaths occurred in 2014, and there were 105 in 2013. Nationally, the number of deaths rose 8% in 2015. The decline in Hawaii is a 5% reduction from 2014. 2015 was the most deadly on the roads since 2008.
Details of Hawaii Fatal Accidents
The majority of fatal accidents in the state occurred in rural areas. 81 deaths equaling 86% of total road fatalities happened in urban locations while only 13 deaths equaling 14% were in rural areas. Much of the islands are made up of rural roadways. A breakdown of motor vehicle-related deaths by road user type shows that 19 deaths were in cars, 17 in SUVs or pickups, 19 motorcyclists, 25 pedestrians, and 2 bicyclists.
Accidents in the News
There have been some recent major accidents reported in the news. Oahu was the location of several major crashes that resulted in at least one death.
- A speeding car on H-1 where the driver lost control of the vehicle. The police later learned that the driver and passenger were fighting and the passenger kicked the steering wheel, causing the vehicle to go across the roadway and flip several times. The jaws of life were needed to remove a female from the wreckage.
- A police chase that involved two suspects in a stolen truck resulted in a head-on crash near Iwilei. The truck was going the wrong way on the highway when it crashed into a car.
- A semi-truck collided with a car in Kailua killing the driver of the car. Witnesses say the car may have gone through a red light. The woman driver suffered a heart attack on the way to the hospital and died.
All three of these serious accidents occurred within hours of each other. The accident information was reported by Hawaii News Now.
Another major accident which resulted in a fatality occurred when a vehicle lost control and rolled over. Rain and fog may have played a role in the one-car accident. In another incident on Oahu, a bicyclist was killed on Farrington Highway when he was hit by a van traveling eastbound. Police reported witnesses said the van was traveling at a high rate of speed. This was the fourth reported death on the roads this year. Last year at the same time there were three deaths.