Slow down. Speed kills. Don't drink and drive.

These aren't platitudes. They are truisms that can also be lifesavers if taken to heart.

In Hawai'i, unfortunately, there appears to be a need to repeatedly remind drivers of these slogans. Consider the record-setting pace of traffic fatalities so far in the state. With two months left in the year, this week finds us at 80 traffic deaths and counting, a six-year high that already tops last year's total of 79 fatalities.

It's a troubling statistic because we have yet to enter the holiday season, a period that extends from Thanksgiving through the New Year, a time of both heavy alcohol consumption and heavy traffic. The mix of the two can often lead to tragic mishaps on the roadways.

Honolulu law enforcement officials say that speed and alcohol are the primary factors in more than half the motor vehicle collisions that occur.

To deter the trend, police plan to have sobriety checkpoints in eight police districts throughout O'ahu from Dec. 15 through Jan. 2. But it will likely take more than checkpoints to really have an impact.

Indeed, while traffic fatalities are on the rise, the number of DUI arrests show that the police are doing a good relatively good job getting drunk drivers off the streets. Police made 2,552 DUI arrests through Sept. 30, about the same compared with a year ago.

Police oversight isn't enough. Reducing the number of fatalities and alcohol-related collisions will require much more personal responsibility— that's what can make a difference. Parents of teen drivers should set firm ground rules, and make clear the dangers of speeding and underage-drinking. If you drink at social functions, use a "designated driver." And we should all adhere to another common slogan: "Friends don't let friends drive drunk."

Simple slogans are more than clichés if they can save a life.