Louisiana Vehicle Deaths Down For The First Time in Years

For the first time since 2020, the number of vehicle crash deaths has decreased by over 10%.

Recent Years

In 2019 there were 727 traffic fatalities on Louisiana roads, and in 2020 that number would rise to 762 fatalities. The number jumped in 2021 when 997 people lost their lives to a traffic-related incident. In 2022 the number would fall but only marginally from 997 fatalities to 906.

2023 In Review

The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission (LHSC) has gathered data to determine how many fatalities occurred on the roads in 2023, and the number of deaths has gone down. In 2023 the LHSC estimates that 811 people died on Louisiana roads this year, a 10.5% drop from 2022.

Pedestrian deaths also took a fall from previous years as they too spiked in 2020 from 122 fatalities in 2019 to a total of 149 deaths in 2020. The number of deaths grew to 183 deaths in 2022. In 2023 there were 147 pedestrian deaths, a 19.7% drop. Bicyclist fatalities were also down from 2022, going from 44 deaths to 35.

Motorcycle fatalities grew in 2023, adding up to 98 motorcyclist fatalities on Louisiana's roads. Overall the number of fatalities due to traffic has dropped from previous years but is not yet reaching the same lows as it was before 2020.

Stay Safe

Nothing can be done to prevent all car accidents, but measures can be taken to avoid them and mitigate them. LHSC Executive Director Lisa Freeman touched briefly on some of the dangers we see on the road today, "We still see too many people driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, too many distracted drivers, too much aggressive driving, and not enough seat belt usage."