From Dec. 26 to Dec. 31, Big Island police also arrested 32 motorists for drunk driving. Four of the drivers were involved in traffic crashes and three were under 21.

There were 1,275 DUI arrests on the Big Island in 2006 compared with 1,086 in 2005, an increase of 17 percent.

The BI police department also said there were 2,449 major accidents in 2006 compared with 2,396 during the same period the previous year, an increase of 2 percent.

There were 33 traffic fatalities on the Big Island in 2006 compared with 36 during the same period the previous year, a decrease of 8 percent.

Of the drivers arrested for DUI last year, 329 had been involved in traffic crashes, and 151 were under the age of 21.

Police also said there were nine drug-related fatalities last year, compared with 14 in 2005, a decrease of 35 percent. There were three alcohol- and drug-related fatalities last year, compared with nine in 2005, a decrease of 29 percent. Police said the actual counts of alcohol- and drug-related fatalities may increase slightly after pending reports are completed.

The number of fatal crashes increased slightly this year — 33 compared with 29 the year before — for an increase of 14 percent.