San Diego

Traffic accidents in San Diego during the first four months of this year were up 5.3% over the same period in 1985. But the number of injury accidents fell 3.5% and the number of fatal accidents dropped 24.4%, statistics released Thursday by the San Diego Police Department revealed.

There were 9,338 accidents through April 30, but only 31 of those involved fatalities, compared to 41 last year. Police spokesman Bill Robinson said the state’s mandatory seat belt law, which went into effect Jan. 1, was “at least partially responsible” for the drop in accidents resulting in injury or death.

Arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs increased 6.9% from last year, Robinson said. Through April 30, San Diego police arrested 2,885 people for driving while impaired.