Hawaii County police reported the island has seen a year-to-date 3.5% drop in drunken driving cases compared with the same period last year.

During the week of July 8-14, police arrested 18 motorists for driving under the influence of an intoxicant. Eight of the drivers had been involved in a traffic accident, including one who was under the age of 21.

So far there have been 604 DUI arrests compared with 626 a year ago.

Major accidents have plummeted 27.4% to 497 from 685 in the year-earlier period.

However, fatal crashes remain the same number, 14, in both this year and last year. However last year 16 people died in 14 crashes (two involved multiple deaths).