Honolulu police issued nearly 900 citations for speeding or hazardous moving violations — including 17 for excessive speeding — in the first weekend of a crackdown aimed at stemming the death toll on O'ahu's roads.

The crackdown is in its second weekend, and police warn that violators will be cited or arrested. The effort was launched Feb. 27, the day after four people died in vehicular accidents — three of them in a 100-mph crash on Likelike Highway in which the driver had a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit.

The deaths took the year's traffic toll to 17, compared with 9 at the same time a year ago.

That weekend, HPD issued 625 speeding citations, including 17 for excessive speeding (80 mph, or 30 or more miles above the posted speed limit), said police Maj. Frank Fujii.

In addition, Fujii said 250 citations were issued for hazardous moving violations (reckless driving, running red light, unsafe lane change), as well as a dozen tickets that were handed out for vehicle violations (expired decal, no insurance card).

Although statistics for February have not been released, January figures show that police issued 1,061 more speeding tickets than they did during the previous January.

HPD patrol and traffic officers will be out in force this weekend, too, Fujii said. He again urged motorists to slow down and drive safely.

"If we see you speeding, we will cite you. If we see you driving impaired, we will arrest you. If we see you driving hazardously, we will stop you, cite you or arrest you," he said.