Big Island police arrested 27 drivers for drunken driving from March 3 to yesterday, according to police reports.

To date there have been 233 DUI arrests, compared to 246 for the same period last year. That's a 5.3 percent decrease, police report. In six of last week's DUI arrests, the drivers were involved in traffic accidents. Two were under 21 years of age, police said.

The bulk of the arrests have occurred in South Hilo. There have been 298 major accidents so far this year, compared to 360 in the same period last year. That's a 17.2 percent decrease.

The number of fatal accidents so far this year are five, compared to nine last year during the same period, police said.