State Troopers reported no fatalities in the Southwest portion of Alabama, including Dallas County, during the 72 hours of the New Year’s holiday period,

Accidents did occur, according to Alabama Department of Public Safety Public Relations officer Trooper John Reese, but injuries were minimized and fatalities were non-existent.

Reese said that five accidents occurred in Dallas County, with no injuries; five in Marengo County, with one injury; one in Perry County, no injuries; and two in Hale, no injuries. Statewide, 17 fatalities were reported.

Reese was pleased with the efforts of local law enforcement and state troopers.

“With Gov. Riley talking about safety issues and partnering with the local law enforcement agencies, we were out in numbers,” Reese said.

Even so, he wasn’t going to discount fate’s role in the lack of traffic fatalities.

“I think it was just luck,” he said.

Unfortunately, the 17 deaths that did occur were greater than the 13 predicted by the State Department of Public Safety.

The accident and death rate was still lower this year than last year’s New Year’s holiday period. Last year, troopers reported 19 deaths on Alabama’s highways.

Overall, Reese said, the state saw about a six percent reduction in traffic accidents.

Reese was also pleased that the state’s major highways produced lower fatalities rates this year.

“Most of the traffic fatalities Occurred in rural areas,” he said. “We didn’t have any fatalities on our major highways.”

Each year, during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday period, the state issues grants to local law enforcement agencies to provide for overtime hours to patrol the state’s streets.

The state also provides for extra hours for patrolling troopers during this period.