As of 6 a.m. Friday morning, nine fatal crashes had been reported, resulting in the 11 deaths. Those deaths occurred in Dekalb County, Gwinnett County, Putnam County and in the cities of Americus, Dalton, Dublin, Lafayette and Sylvania.
The Georgia State Patrol and Crash Reporting Unit of the Georgia Department of Transportaion had predicted 20 traffic deaths over the 102-hour New Year travel period, which began at 6 p.m. New Year's Eve and will ends midnight Sunday, Jan. 4.
Overall, the number of crashes and injuries are lower than GSP predictions. There have been 836 crashes and 209 injuries, compared to the 3,008 crases and 1,350 injuries expected.
Col. Bill Hitchens, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety, said the primary reasons for an increase in wrecks, injuries and deaths over the holidays are impaired drivers and not wearing seat belts. He urges people to use designated drivers and always buckle up.
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