Okinawa Prefectural Police announced Feb. 19th that the rate of fatal accidents related to drinking and driving on Okinawa was the worst in the nation for the second year in a row.

According to police statistics, DUI was a factor in nine of the total 34 fatal accidents in the prefecture or 26.5 percent of cases in 2014. That is about four times higher than the national average of 6.7 %.

Although the number of fatal traffic accidents in Okinawa in 2014 was the lowest ever, the rate of DUI cases keeps staying the worst in the nation.  According to police officials, it again highlights the lack of DUI awareness among local people. They say that, not only the rate of fatal accidents related to DUI, but the rate of accidents related to DUI resulting in physical injuries is also high at 1.8 % (103 cases), about 2.4 times higher than the national average of 0.76 %.

The Prefectural Police set up a DUI Eradication Office this January. However, the number of the DUIs detected on the roads in the prefecture in January increased by 73 to 227 cases compared to the same month of the previous year.

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