Lists of the states with the “worst drivers” often make Louisiana look alarming. The problem is that the lists do not all measure the same thing. One may count fatal crashes, another may use insurance claims, and another may combine citations, speeding, impaired driving, and other behavior into a private score. That makes a…
A breath-test number can matter after an alcohol-related crash, but it does not answer every question in an injury claim. It may help show a driver’s alcohol concentration when the sample was taken. It does not, by itself, establish how the crash happened, whether the test was administered correctly, or which injuries the collision…
Holiday traffic in Louisiana does not follow one simple pattern. Mardi Gras puts sustained pressure on streets and highways. Thanksgiving compresses long trips into a few busy travel windows. Halloween brings more pedestrians into neighborhoods after dark. The numbers below help show when serious crashes have clustered, but they do not prove why any…
A citywide fatal-crash or homicide rate does not describe the safety of a university campus. It does describe part of the community around it. This historical analysis placed U.S. towns with substantial student populations into two interactive tables using fatal-crash and homicide measures. The events counted occurred within city limits, not necessarily on or…
Last reviewed: September 26, 2026 People often ask about the odds of dying in a car crash because they want one number that tells them whether driving is safe. There is no honest way to turn a national statistic into a personal prediction. The useful question is what the available data measures, which risks…
Editorial & Legal Accuracy Notice (Louisiana) This article uses official federal and Louisiana traffic data available on the review date. Preliminary estimates can change when agencies complete and revise their datasets. Last reviewed / updated: September 22, 2026 Reviewed, updated, and authored by: Stephen Babcock, Louisiana trial lawyer, Louisiana Bar No. 26792. Traffic deaths…
Traffic volume fell sharply in 2020, yet more people died on U.S. roads. The difference matters because traffic counts alone do not tell us how dangerous a trip will be. Speed, impairment and whether an occupant is restrained can change the outcome of a crash even when the road looks open. What the 2020…
Defensive driving is not timid driving. It is the habit of leaving yourself enough time and space to respond when another driver makes a mistake. On Louisiana roads, that usually means controlling following distance, scanning well beyond the vehicle ahead, and refusing to let another driver’s speed or aggression dictate your own decisions. The…
A first DWI arrest can start two separate proceedings in Louisiana: a criminal prosecution and an administrative driver’s-license case. If someone was injured in a collision, a civil claim may proceed as well. Each has its own purpose, evidence, and deadlines. If you were arrested, speak with a criminal-defense lawyer about the charge and…
Marijuana legalization and marijuana-impaired driving are related questions, but they are not the same question. Research can measure changes in crash rates after a law changes. A Louisiana injury claim still has to determine whether a particular driver was impaired, whether that impairment affected the driving and whether it contributed to the collision. That…
Louisiana’s child-restraint law follows a progression from rear-facing seats to harnessed seats, boosters, and finally an adult belt that fits correctly. Age matters, but the child’s size and the manufacturer’s limits matter too. The four restraint stages in Louisiana The current requirements appear in La. R.S. 32:295. If a child fits more than one…
The Louisiana Traffic Records Data Report 2024 reports 706 fatal crashes and 753 fatalities statewide in 2024. That same Louisiana Traffic Records Data Report 2024 notes 161 people died in DWI (BAC>=0.08) crashes and 261 vehicle passengers died not wearing a seat belt. Statewide totals describe road safety trends. They cannot establish what caused…
A quick headlight flash can communicate several messages: dim your high beams, check your own lights, watch for a hazard, or slow down because police are ahead. When the message is a speed-trap warning, the act raises two separate questions. Is the communication protected by the First Amendment? And did the driver violate a…
A red-light camera can help establish when a vehicle entered an intersection. Whether it improves safety is a broader question: a program can change the number and severity of crashes, and ticket revenue alone tells us little about either. Louisiana sets requirements for camera signs and for challenging a mailed citation. If someone was…