DETROIT – Preliminary police reports indicate 10 people died in traffic crashes over the New Year's holiday in Michigan.
Another nine people died over the Christmas holiday, according to the Michigan State Police Criminal Justice Information Center.
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Half of the deaths on New Year's involved alcohol and five of the nine Christmas deaths were alcohol related.
For the New Year's holiday, four of the people who died were not wearing seat belts and over Christmas, three were unbuckled.
"The importance of buckling up and driving sober can never be stressed enough," said Kathy Farnum, senior section chief of the Office of Highway Safety Planning.
The early comparisons can be made to last year when 14 people died over the four-day New Year's holiday period and eight died over the four-day Christmas holiday period.
The New Year's holiday period starts at 6 p.m. Dec. 28 and went through midnight Jan. 1.
The Christmas holiday period began at 6 p.m. Dec. 21 and went through midnight Dec. 25.