The highway patrol measures New Year’s holiday statistics in a four-day period, which this year begins tonight at midnight and ends Sunday at 11:59 p.m.
Last year, during the four-day period from Dec. 31 to Jan. 3, 14 people died in the same number of crashes.
Of those crashes, OSHP said that 10 involved drugs and/or alcohol and three involved speeding.
The highway patrol said that seatbelts were available in seven of those deaths, but in five cases the belts were left unbuckled.
The remaining seven deaths included six pedestrians and one ATV driver.
“Tragically, last year’s New Year’s holiday was the deadliest in nine years,” said Highway Patrol superintendent Colonel Richard S. Fambro. “Safety is a shared responsibility and we need your commitment to help make our roads safe.”
Last year, the highway patrol also arrested 309 people from driving while intoxicated.
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