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Holiday wreck numbers down
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According to the Georgia Department of Public Safety, fewer wrecks occurred over this New Year’s holiday period than happened last year, during New Year’s 2008-09. There were 10 fatalities, 475 injuries and a total of 2,116 wrecks from 6 p.m. Dec. 31 through midnight Jan. 3, 2010.
Last year, there were 22 fatalities, 1,222 injuries and 2,998 wrecks.
The actual numbers were also less than predicted. DPS predicted 16 deaths, 1,004 injuries and 2,330 crashes would occur during last week’s 78-hour holiday period.
The decrease in alcohol-related crashes is credited to law enforcement’s crackdown on impaired drivers. The Georgia State Patrol and other law enforcement agencies conducted road checks and concentrated high visibility patrols during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, said Bill Hitchens, DPS commissioner.
The most deaths on Georgia roads during the New Year’s holiday occurred in 1981 and 1987 with 23. The lowest occurred in 1947 and 1958 when the state recorded only three deaths, according to DPS.
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