For Release December 28, 2005:

PRELIMINARY FATALITY REPORT FOR
CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY, 2005

The following is a synopsis of the fatality experience during the 72-hour Christmas holiday period, which began at 00:01 hours, Saturday, December 24th, 2005, and ended at midnight, Monday, December 26th, 2005.

The statistical information provided below represents preliminary figures and covers only those crashes investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol.

The preliminary traffic fatality total stands at 19.

• The 19 deaths occurred in 16 separate traffic crashes.
• 14 fatalities (or 74%) occurred during the hours of darkness.
• 5 of the fatal traffic crashes (or 31%) were known to be alcohol-related; 7 (or 44%) remain listed as pending; with 4 (or 25%) presently classified as not alcohol related.
• Of the 19 deaths, 3 (or 16 %) were pedestrians; and 5 (or 26%) were motorcyclists.
• 2 of the motorcyclists (or 40 %) were known to be wearing helmets.
• 27% of those killed in the 11 vehicles normally equipped with safety belts were not wearing their belts.

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