Louisiana Fatal Accident Study:
Advertising & Editorial Disclosure
MoneyGeek examined 2,162 fatal accidents in Louisiana from 2018 to 2020 to identify the deadliest roads in the state. Within Louisiana's 134,115 miles of road, our analysis looked at 826 roads.
MoneyGeek also looked at other potential factors — like drunk driving, speeding, distracted driving and time of year — and how each contributed to fatal crashes in Louisiana.
We also summarized data for each county in the state, including the deadliest road in each of Louisiana's counties.
New Orleans
Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge
Prairieville | Baton Rouge
Monroe | Richwood | Unknown | Not Reported
Baton Rouge
Walker
Kenner | Metairie
SorrentoBetween 2018 and 2020, drunk driving contributed to 640 of Lousiana’s 2,162 fatal accidents. This is the highest contributing factor to driving fatalities within the state, outnumbering distracted driving and speeding.
This statistic underscores how dangerous drunk driving can be. Even a small amount of alcohol can put you and others at risk. For instance, a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of just 0.02% can make you visibly impaired.
In Louisiana, a BAC of 0.08% classifies you as legally intoxicated. At this point, many people lose their coordination, and their balance and reaction time will be challenging to control.
Even if you don't cause an accident while intoxicated, the cost of drunk driving is severe. The consequences could include restricted driving privileges, license suspension and jail time. A DUI conviction will make it significantly harder to find cheap car insurance in Louisiana. In particular, you’ll need Louisiana SR-22 insurance, which will make your policy much more expensive.
From 2018 to 2020, Louisiana had a total of 380 speeding-related fatalities. That's 17.6% of crashes resulting in death. Speeding is the second-biggest contributor to deadly accidents in Louisiana.
Speeding is dangerous to you and those around you. Going too fast can make it difficult to stop quickly if needed. Consequently, you’re more likely to suffer severe injuries or get into a fatal crash when speeding.
Distracted driving is the third-deadliest contributor to accidents in Louisiana. Between 2018 and 2020, Louisiana recorded 369 fatal accidents involving distracted driving. That translates to roughly 17.1% of all deadly crashes in the state.
MoneyGeek’s distracted driving study found that Louisiana is the second worst state for distracted driving — New Mexico ranks first.
From 2018–2020, October had the highest number of fatal accidents in Louisiana. During this month, 210 accidents occurred, accounting for 9.7% of all fatal crashes within the three years analyzed.
May and September followed close behind, with 9.2% (198) of deadly accidents in the state each.
Maintaining safe driving habits is essential to keeping yourself and others on the road safe. It can also help you save money in the long run. Sometimes, however, accidents are inevitable. Therefore, obtaining more than just Louisiana's minimum auto insurance is wise. A full coverage auto insurance policy can keep you and your loved ones safe and financially secure in the event of an accident.
The average cost of auto insurance in Louisiana is $3,041 per year. However, the actual cost may vary based on where you live in the state. For instance, drivers pay roughly $3,380 per year for car insurance in New Orleans. In contrast, auto insurance in Shreveport costs an annual average of $1,791. That's a difference of $1,589 each year.
Note that while MoneyGeek collected premiums across the state of Louisiana, these are only averages. The actual car insurance rates vary based on other factors — like your age, driving history and more. Consider comparing quotes from different providers to find the cheapest car insurance company for your needs.
In Louisiana, the top five counties recorded a total of 640 fatal accidents. These account for 30% of the total fatal crashes in the state. East Baton Rouge saw the highest number of deadly accidents with 199 crashes. Twenty-nine of these crashes occurred along US-61, and most commonly involved drunk driving and distracted driving.
MoneyGeek analyzed data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) database using fatality data from 2018, 2019 and 2020. Currently, 2020 is the latest data available in the system.
About Doug Milnes, CFA
Doug Milnes is a CFA charter holder with over 10 years of experience in corporate finance and the Head of Credit Cards at MoneyGeek. Formerly, he performed valuations for Duff and Phelps and financial planning and analysis for various companies. His analysis has been cited by U.S. News and World Report, The Hill, the Los Angeles Times, The New York Times and many other outlets.
Milnes holds a master’s degree in data science from Northwestern University. He geeks out on helping people feel on top of their credit card use, from managing debt to optimizing rewards.
