Fatal crashes in Louisiana
In 2024, 752 people died in 705 fatal crashes on Louisiana roads, 7.3% fewer than in 2023. That is about 2 deaths a day, and 1.9% of all road deaths in the United States.
Louisiana ranks 19th of 51 by road deaths in 2024, and 9th by deaths per resident. Every state in 2024.
Road deaths in Louisiana since 1975
Road deaths in Louisiana peaked in 1981 at 1,233; 2024's 752 is 39% below that. The lowest year was 2011 with 680. 2024 is 20% below 2000 and 19% below 1975.
| Year | Deaths | Fatal crashes | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 752 | 705 | -7.3% |
| 2023 | 811 | 755 | -10.5% |
| 2022 | 906 | 852 | -6.7% |
| 2021 | 971 | 886 | +17.3% |
| 2020 | 828 | 762 | +13.9% |
| 2019 | 727 | 681 | -5.7% |
| 2018 | 771 | 719 | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 770 | 705 | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 757 | 704 | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 752 | 698 | +1.6% |
Show 1975 to 2014
| Year | Deaths | Fatal crashes | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 740 | 665 | +5.3% |
| 2013 | 703 | 651 | -2.8% |
| 2012 | 723 | 653 | +6.3% |
| 2011 | 680 | 634 | -5.7% |
| 2010 | 721 | 644 | -12.5% |
| 2009 | 824 | 729 | -10.0% |
| 2008 | 916 | 821 | -7.8% |
| 2007 | 993 | 900 | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 987 | 890 | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 963 | 872 | +3.9% |
| 2004 | 927 | 826 | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 940 | 826 | +3.6% |
| 2002 | 907 | 816 | -4.7% |
| 2001 | 952 | 860 | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 938 | 846 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 938 | 830 | +1.3% |
| 1998 | 926 | 807 | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 931 | 831 | +3.2% |
| 1996 | 902 | 807 | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 894 | 779 | +6.0% |
| 1994 | 843 | 749 | -4.0% |
| 1993 | 878 | 767 | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 886 | 792 | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 862 | 783 | -10.1% |
| 1990 | 959 | 834 | +9.2% |
| 1989 | 878 | 782 | -5.1% |
| 1988 | 925 | 822 | +12.0% |
| 1987 | 826 | 730 | -11.4% |
| 1986 | 932 | 821 | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 931 | 824 | -3.1% |
| 1984 | 961 | 844 | +3.0% |
| 1983 | 933 | 836 | -14.5% |
| 1982 | 1,091 | 962 | -11.5% |
| 1981 | 1,233 | 1,105 | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 1,219 | 1,080 | +2.0% |
| 1979 | 1,195 | 1,050 | +10.8% |
| 1978 | 1,079 | 956 | +9.0% |
| 1977 | 990 | 869 | +5.2% |
| 1976 | 941 | 831 | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 934 | 813 | No data |
Deaths within 30 days of a crash on a public road, as NHTSA counts them. 2024 is the latest year NHTSA has published; the 2024 figures are from the Annual Report File and may be revised when NHTSA releases the final file. The 2025 file is expected in spring 2027.
The deadliest roads and most dangerous highways in Louisiana
I-10 had the most fatal crashes of any numbered road in Louisiana from 2015 to 2024: 452, with 489 deaths. The 20 roads listed held 36% of all fatal crashes in Louisiana from 2015 to 2024; 5 are interstates, 8 US routes, 7 state highways. Interstate, US and state routes ranked by fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024; ramps and frontage roads are left out (88 crashes). Roads with 15 or more fatal crashes in 2022 to 2024 have their own page. Every numbered road in Louisiana, ranked.
| Road | Fatal crashes | Deaths | 2022 to 2024 | Counties with the most | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I-10 | 452 | 489 | 139 | Orleans Parish, Calcasieu Parish, Ascension Parish |
| 2 | US 90 | 290 | 308 | 105 | Orleans Parish, Jefferson Parish, St. Mary Parish |
| 3 | US 61 | 240 | 267 | 68 | East Baton Rouge Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish, Ascension Parish |
| 4 | US 190 | 185 | 200 | 42 | St. Tammany Parish, East Baton Rouge Parish, St. Landry Parish |
| 5 | State Highway 1 | 172 | 189 | 54 | Lafourche Parish, Caddo Parish, West Baton Rouge Parish |
| 6 | I-20 | 161 | 178 | 48 | Ouachita Parish, Caddo Parish, Bossier Parish |
| 7 | I-12 | 145 | 161 | 58 | St. Tammany Parish, East Baton Rouge Parish, Livingston Parish |
| 8 | US 165 | 115 | 123 | 37 | Ouachita Parish, Morehouse Parish, Rapides Parish |
| 9 | I-49 | 110 | 136 | 34 | Rapides Parish, St. Landry Parish, Natchitoches Parish |
| 10 | US 167 | 107 | 117 | 30 | Lafayette Parish, Vermilion Parish, Rapides Parish |
| 11 | US 71 | 98 | 106 | 32 | Caddo Parish, Rapides Parish, Grant Parish |
| 12 | US 171 | 88 | 93 | 21 | Beauregard Parish, Calcasieu Parish, Caddo Parish |
| 13 | State Highway 182 | 78 | 91 | 25 | St. Mary Parish, Terrebonne Parish, St. Landry Parish |
| 14 | State Highway 16 | 74 | 81 | 33 | Livingston Parish, St. Helena Parish, Washington Parish |
| 15 | US 80 | 73 | 78 | 23 | Ouachita Parish, Bossier Parish, Madison Parish |
| 16 | State Highway 10 | 67 | 76 | 19 | Washington Parish, Vernon Parish, East Feliciana Parish |
| 17 | State Highway 308 | 62 | 70 | 23 | Lafourche Parish, Assumption Parish, Ascension Parish |
| 18 | State Highway 14 | 53 | 56 | 14 | Vermilion Parish, Calcasieu Parish, Iberia Parish |
| 19 | State Highway 22 | 52 | 55 | 21 | Livingston Parish, Tangipahoa Parish, Ascension Parish |
| 20 | I-55 | 50 | 55 | 15 | Tangipahoa Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Download every numbered road in Louisiana as CSV. Free to reuse with credit: “Fatal Crash Data, fatalcrashdata.com/fatal-crashes/louisiana/, from NHTSA FARS (2024 Annual Report File).”
The deadliest counties in Louisiana
East Baton Rouge Parish had the most fatal crashes in Louisiana from 2015 to 2024: 677, with 716 deaths. East Baton Rouge Parish, Orleans Parish and Caddo Parish together held 21% of fatal crashes in Louisiana from 2015 to 2024; the 20 listed held 69%. 64 counties in Louisiana recorded a fatal crash in those years; the 20 with the most are listed, with deaths per 100,000 residents where the county had 10 or more deaths in 2024.
Per resident, St. Helena Parish has the highest rate in Louisiana: 56.7 road deaths per 100,000 residents a year from 2015 to 2024, against 17.3 for the state as a whole. Counties with fewer than 10,000 residents are hatched rather than shaded: a few crashes on a highway through a small county make a rate that says more about its population than its roads.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | Deaths per 100,000100K, 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | East Baton Rouge Parish | 61 | 677 | 716 | 14.6 |
| 2 | Orleans Parish | 58 | 520 | 549 | 16.5 |
| 3 | Caddo Parish | 38 | 374 | 398 | 18.7 |
| 4 | Calcasieu Parish | 28 | 359 | 381 | 14.5 |
| 5 | Jefferson Parish | 23 | 302 | 322 | 5.6 |
| 6 | St. Tammany Parish | 30 | 301 | 317 | 11.2 |
| 7 | Tangipahoa Parish | 28 | 300 | 319 | 21.5 |
| 8 | Ouachita Parish | 27 | 263 | 276 | 17.1 |
| 9 | Lafayette Parish | 31 | 260 | 269 | 12.2 |
| 10 | Livingston Parish | 26 | 256 | 274 | 17.7 |
| 11 | Rapides Parish | 25 | 228 | 242 | 19.9 |
| 12 | Ascension Parish | 21 | 221 | 237 | 16.5 |
| 13 | Lafourche Parish | 9 | 184 | 215 | 14.7 |
| 14 | St. Landry Parish | 15 | 177 | 197 | 19.8 |
| 15 | Terrebonne Parish | 15 | 154 | 171 | 14.4 |
| 16 | Acadia Parish | 9 | 135 | 156 | 19.4 |
| 17 | Bossier Parish | 19 | 128 | 135 | 14.5 |
| 18 | Iberia Parish | 12 | 116 | 134 | 17.8 |
| 19 | St. Martin Parish | 7 | 113 | 123 | Not enough data |
| 20 | Washington Parish | 8 | 97 | 110 | 22.2 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Download every county with a page as CSV. Free to reuse with credit: “Fatal Crash Data, fatalcrashdata.com/fatal-crashes/louisiana/, from NHTSA FARS (2024 Annual Report File).”
The deadliest counties in America: every county ranked nationally, and per resident
When fatal crashes happen in Louisiana
The heaviest slot is Saturday, 8 pm to midnight, with 315 fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024. The worst hour is 8 pm to 9 pm; the worst month is October.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 4.0 percent, 298 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 132 fatal crashes | 1.3 percent, 93 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 145 fatal crashes | 3.6 percent, 265 fatal crashes | 3.8 percent, 279 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 1.6 percent, 120 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 138 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 146 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 160 fatal crashes | 2.9 percent, 216 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 192 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 1.2 percent, 92 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 144 fatal crashes | 1.3 percent, 97 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 139 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 222 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 194 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 1.3 percent, 93 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 154 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 119 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 157 fatal crashes | 2.7 percent, 200 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 207 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 1.6 percent, 117 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 159 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 119 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 165 fatal crashes | 3.1 percent, 231 fatal crashes | 3.3 percent, 245 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 1.8 percent, 133 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 165 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 139 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 162 fatal crashes | 3.5 percent, 256 fatal crashes | 4.0 percent, 297 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 3.6 percent, 267 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 139 fatal crashes | 1.3 percent, 95 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 154 fatal crashes | 3.3 percent, 242 fatal crashes | 4.3 percent, 315 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan7.2%
- Feb7.1%
- Mar8.0%
- Apr8.7%
- May9.1%
- Jun8.1%
- Jul8.0%
- Aug8.5%
- Sep9.0%
- Oct9.5%
- Nov8.0%
- Dec8.7%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where fatal crashes happen in Louisiana: rural or urban, intersection, dark or daylight
45% of fatal crashes in Louisiana from 2015 to 2024 were on rural roads, above the US share of 43%; 20% happened at or near an intersection, below the US share of 25%; 35% in the dark on unlit roads, above the US share of 28%. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across the United States.
| Louisiana | US | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural roads | 45% | 43% | above the US share |
| At or near an intersection | 20% | 25% | below the US share |
| In daylight | 42% | 46% | below the US share |
| In the dark, road lit | 18% | 21% | below the US share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 35% | 28% | above the US share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Who died on Louisiana roads in 2024
Vehicle occupants were 63% of the 752 people killed on Louisiana roads in 2024; pedestrians 21% (159), motorcyclists 9.3% (70), cyclists 5.9% (44).
| Road user | Deaths | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants | 475 | 63% |
| Pedestrians | 159 | 21% |
| Motorcyclists | 70 | 9.3% |
| Cyclists | 44 | 5.9% |
| Others (on personal conveyances, in parked vehicles, in buildings) | 4 | 0.5% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
How fatal crashes happen in Louisiana: alcohol, speeding, seat belts, hit-and-run
A drinking driver was recorded in 31% of fatal crashes in Louisiana from 2015 to 2024, above the US share of 26%; speeding in 22%, below the US share of 27%; a hit-and-run in 7.3%, about the US share; a driver recorded as distracted in 21%, above the US share of 8.7%; 57% of passenger-vehicle occupants killed with belt use known were unbelted, above the US share of 49%.
Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024 with the factor recorded, against the US share. "A drinking driver" is NHTSA's drinking-driver flag (police-reported drinking or any positive alcohol test), not its "alcohol-impaired" figure. "Unbelted" is the share of passenger-vehicle occupants killed whose belt use is known (4,545 in Louisiana).
| Louisiana | US | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| A drinking driver | 31% | 26% | above the US share |
| Speeding | 22% | 27% | below the US share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 21% | 8.7% | above the US share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 57% | 49% | above the US share |
| Hit-and-run | 7.3% | 6.5% | about the same as the US share |
| A motorcycle involved | 12% | 16% | below the US share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
What the first harmful event was
The first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in 37%; a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 31%, a pedestrian in 18%, a rollover in 5.1%. What each fatal crash first hit, 2015 to 2024.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 2,744 | 37% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 2,325 | 31% |
| Pedestrian | 1,330 | 18% |
| Rollover | 383 | 5.1% |
| Cyclist | 316 | 4.2% |
| Other | 293 | 3.9% |
| Parked vehicle | 75 | 1.0% |
| Not reported | 1 | 0.0% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Vehicles in fatal crashes in Louisiana
Cars were 37% of the 10,876 vehicles in fatal crashes in Louisiana from 2015 to 2024, pickups 26%, SUVs 18%, motorcycles 8.3%. Every vehicle in a fatal crash from 2015 to 2024, by body type.
| Type | Vehicles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cars | 3,974 | 37% |
| Pickups | 2,774 | 26% |
| SUVs | 1,936 | 18% |
| Motorcycles | 907 | 8.3% |
| Truck-tractors | 612 | 5.6% |
| Other trucks | 415 | 3.8% |
| Vans | 222 | 2.0% |
| Buses | 36 | 0.3% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Road deaths in Louisiana per resident and per mile driven
| Louisiana | US | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Deaths per 100,000 residents, 2024 | 16.4 | 11.5 | above the US rate |
| Deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2015 to 2024 | 17.3 | 11.8 | above the US rate |
| Deaths per 100 million vehicle-miles, 2024 | 1.36 | 1.19 | above the US rate |
Population 4,597,740 (Census Bureau estimate, 2024); 55,109 million vehicle-miles (FHWA Highway Statistics 2024, table VM-2). The only figures on this page not counted from FARS.
Questions about fatal crashes in Louisiana
- How many people died in car accidents in Louisiana in 2024?
- 752 people died in 705 fatal crashes on Louisiana roads in 2024, 7.3% fewer than in 2023. That is 16.4 deaths per 100,000 residents, against 11.5 across the United States. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- What is the deadliest road in Louisiana?
- I-10 had the most fatal crashes of any numbered road in Louisiana from 2015 to 2024: 452, with 489 deaths. US 90 was second with 290.
- Which county in Louisiana has the most fatal crashes?
- East Baton Rouge Parish, with 677 fatal crashes and 716 deaths from 2015 to 2024, 61 of them in 2024.
- When do fatal crashes in Louisiana happen most often?
- The heaviest slot from 2015 to 2024 was Saturday, 8 pm to midnight, with 315 fatal crashes.
- How many fatal crashes in Louisiana involved a drinking driver?
- 2,311 of 7,467 fatal crashes in Louisiana from 2015 to 2024 involved a driver NHTSA recorded as drinking, 31%, against 26% across the United States.
County pages for Louisiana
Every county in Louisiana with 30 or more fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, each with its crashes by year, roads, hour and weekday, and deaths per 100,000 residents.
- East Baton Rouge Parish 677
- Orleans Parish 520
- Caddo Parish 374
- Calcasieu Parish 359
- Jefferson Parish 302
- St. Tammany Parish 301
- Tangipahoa Parish 300
- Ouachita Parish 263
- Lafayette Parish 260
- Livingston Parish 256
- Rapides Parish 228
- Ascension Parish 221
- Lafourche Parish 184
- St. Landry Parish 177
- Terrebonne Parish 154
- Acadia Parish 135
- Bossier Parish 128
- Iberia Parish 116
- St. Martin Parish 113
- Washington Parish 97
- St. John the Baptist Parish 95
- West Baton Rouge Parish 93
- Iberville Parish 92
- Jefferson Davis Parish 90
- Natchitoches Parish 88
- Vermilion Parish 82
- Webster Parish 82
- Avoyelles Parish 79
- St. Mary Parish 77
- Evangeline Parish 72
- Vernon Parish 70
- St. Charles Parish 69
- East Feliciana Parish 67
- Pointe Coupee Parish 67
- De Soto Parish 66
- Lincoln Parish 65
- Beauregard Parish 62
- Richland Parish 61
- Grant Parish 58
- St. Helena Parish 55
- Morehouse Parish 54
- Sabine Parish 54
- Allen Parish 53
- Assumption Parish 50
- Franklin Parish 50
- St. James Parish 48
- St. Bernard Parish 45
- Winn Parish 43
- Concordia Parish 42
- Madison Parish 42
- Union Parish 41
- Bienville Parish 36
- Jackson Parish 33
- Plaquemines Parish 30
Road pages for Louisiana
Every numbered road in Louisiana with 15 or more fatal crashes from 2022 to 2024, each with its crashes by year, county, hour and weekday.
Where the Louisiana numbers come from
Every figure on this page except the rates is counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, the federal census of fatal crashes on US public roads, 2024 Annual Report File. A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. Road names are normalised ("I-35", "I 35" and "I-35/PURPLE HEART TRL" are the same road); frontage roads and ramps ("I35 FRONTAGE") are left out of road counts. Totals from the state highway department and news reports can differ by a few: they count from the state's own crash reports, often before every death within 30 days is known, while NHTSA's file is checked and revised once a year. Fields NHTSA coded as unknown show as "Not reported"; a share is only given over 20 crashes, otherwise "Not enough data". Rates per resident and per mile use Census Bureau population estimates and FHWA vehicle-miles, the only figures not counted from FARS. The full method.