Car accident statistics are important for policy makers and public safety officials to understand the risks and hazards that everyday Louisiana drivers are facing. However, statistics can also be helpful for drivers and pedestrians as well. Knowing the leading cause of injury or fatality on the road can help us make safe, rational decisions on a daily basis.
Today’s blog is about making sense of all the information available about car accidents in Louisiana to give our readers a clear picture of statewide car crash statistics. All data was taken from LSU Data Reports.
The Effect of Coronavirus on Car Accident Rates
Over the last five years, Louisiana has seen its overall injury crash rate drop steadily. “Injury crash rate” refers to how often an accident occurs that results in an injury. In 2020, the rate (calculated by number of crashes per 100 million miles traveled) is 77.7—more than 10% less than the previous year!
The drop from 2019 to 2020 in the injury crash rate could in part be explained by the COVID-19 pandemic, which closed schools and workplaces and forced many people to stay home. With fewer cars on the road, it’s natural to expect fewer accidents.
However, it’s notable that the rate of fatal crashes more-or-less stayed the same, and the number of fatalities actually rose in the same period. That suggests the most severe and life-threatening crashes were not affected by lower traffic levels. These might include crashes involving commercial trucks (which stayed on the road through the pandemic), single-vehicle crashes, and crashes involving drunk or impaired drivers.
Louisiana Pedestrian Injury Rate in 2020
Similar to car crash statistics, pedestrian injury rates dropped dramatically between 2019 and 2020, an 18.8% drop total. But the number of fatalities slightly rose. Again, that indicates that the most severe pedestrian accidents continued at the same rate, despite fewer pedestrian accidents overall.
It’s notable that the number of pedestrian accidents involving alcohol decreased by 34% between 2019 and 2020.
If You’ve Been Injured, We Can Fight for Your Future
Serious or fatal car accidents have life-changing costs attached to them. Medical costs, the loss of a job or a career, the cost of burial—it can’t be overstated how much a car accident can change lives. It’s our job to change them back as much as we can.
If you’ve been injured in a crash, speak with the Louisiana car accident lawyers at Clayton, Frugé & Ward today at (225) 209-9943 for a free consultation.