3 killed on Georgia roads so far during Christmas travel period

ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Public Safety has released a preliminary report on holiday traffic statistics through Wednesday, showing that three people have been killed in crashes across the state so far this Christmas.

What we know:

Statewide, all law enforcement agencies have reported three fatalities. Of those, the Georgia State Patrol (GSP) investigated one fatal crash.

The latest statistics from the Department of Public Safety (DPS) also highlight a significant number of arrests and citations as troopers maintain a heavy presence on Georgia’s interstates.

By the numbers:

Through Wednesday, troopers have reported:

• DUI arrests: 38
• Distracted driving citations: 24
• Seatbelt citations: 30
• Total crash reports: 36
• Total people injured in crashes: 12
• Total DUI-related crashes: 4
• Commercial vehicle crashes: 0

Local perspective:

The current Christmas travel figures are significantly lower than those recorded during the 102-hour Thanksgiving holiday period. Preliminary GSP figures show that Thanksgiving travel led to 11 fatal crashes and 12 deaths statewide. During that November period, state troopers handled six of the fatalities, while local police departments investigated the remaining five.

What’s next:

DPS will continue to track traffic data throughout the holiday weekend.