Twelve people were killed in accidents on Georgia highways and roads during the Christmas holiday period, according to the Georgia Department of Public Safety.

There were 3,877 crashes, resulting in 893 injuries, over the 102-hour period. Last year, 22 people were killed and 1,107 injured in 2,482 accidents during a 78-hour holiday period, according to the Department of Public Safety.
The Georgia State Patrol’s Jasper post investigated three fatal accidents, the most of any law enforcement agency over the holiday weekend. There were no fatal accidents reported in the counties patrolled by Troop I, which includes Effingham County.

The Christmas holiday traffic count began Dec. 21 at 6 p.m. and ended at midnight Christmas Day.  The New Year’s holiday travel period gets under way at 6 p.m. on Friday and ends at midnight New Year’s Day.

The highest number of fatalities over a New Year’s holiday period was 23 in 1981 and 1987 and the lowest occurred in 1947 and 1958 when only three deaths were reported.