I-49 in Louisiana: fatal crashes
From 2015 to 2024, 110 fatal crashes on I-49 in Louisiana killed 136 people, the 9th most of 615 numbered roads in Louisiana. In 2024 there were 11 fatal crashes and 13 deaths on the road.
An interstate running through 8 counties of Louisiana. All fatal crashes in Louisiana. I-49 in every state.
Deaths on I-49 in Louisiana by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 11 | 13 |
| 2023 | 15 | 17 |
| 2022 | 8 | 12 |
| 2021 | 18 | 23 |
| 2020 | 12 | 14 |
| 2019 | 7 | 7 |
| 2018 | 10 | 13 |
| 2017 | 9 | 13 |
| 2016 | 9 | 10 |
| 2015 | 11 | 14 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where on I-49 in Louisiana: the counties with the most fatal crashes
Rapides Parish had the most fatal crashes on I-49 from 2015 to 2024: 23, with 25 deaths. Rapides Parish, St. Landry Parish and Natchitoches Parish together held 56% of fatal crashes on I-49 in Louisiana from 2015 to 2024; the 7 listed held 97%. Counties are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rapides Parish | 2 | 23 | 25 |
| 2 | St. Landry Parish | 3 | 20 | 29 |
| 3 | Natchitoches Parish | 2 | 19 | 22 |
| 4 | Caddo Parish | 1 | 18 | 23 |
| 5 | De Soto Parish | 0 | 11 | 15 |
| 6 | Lafayette Parish | 1 | 11 | 13 |
| 7 | Evangeline Parish | 1 | 5 | 6 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
When fatal crashes happen on I-49 in Louisiana
108 fatal crashes on I-49 in Louisiana from 2015 to 2024 have a known time, too few for any one weekday and time of day to stand out. The worst hour is 7 pm to 8 pm; the worst month is December.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 3.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 5.6 percent, 6 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 4.6 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 0.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 2.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 3.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 2.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 0.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 3.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.9 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Thu | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 3.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 5.6 percent, 6 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 3.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 4.6 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 5.6 percent, 6 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 3.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 3.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan3.6%
- Feb5.5%
- Mar6.4%
- Apr5.5%
- May12.7%
- Jun9.1%
- Jul10.9%
- Aug7.3%
- Sep8.2%
- Oct8.2%
- Nov8.2%
- Dec14.5%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Fatal crashes per mile on I-49 in Louisiana
4.4 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 250 miles of I-49 in Louisiana, against 10.6 for all interstates in Louisiana. That ranks 5 of 5 interstates in Louisiana and 141 of 172 interstate pages on this site.
Mileage from the FHWA Interstate route log (table 1), the only figure here not counted from FARS. Crashes per mile of road, not per vehicle: FARS records crashes, not traffic.
What fatal crashes on I-49 in Louisiana first hit
The first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in 35%; a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 25%, a pedestrian in 18%, a rollover in 11%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 38 | 35% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 27 | 25% |
| Pedestrian | 20 | 18% |
| Rollover | 12 | 11% |
| Parked vehicle | 7 | 6.4% |
| Cyclist | 3 | 2.7% |
| Other | 3 | 2.7% |
| Not reported | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
How fatal crashes on I-49 in Louisiana compare with the state
The largest difference from Louisiana: from 2015 to 2024, 0.9% of fatal crashes on I-49 in Louisiana were at or near an intersection, against 20% across Louisiana. Also above the Louisiana share: rural roads. Below it: drinking drivers and motorcycles. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of Louisiana. A share is only given over 20 crashes; above or below means more than chance would give on 110 crashes.
| I-49 | Louisiana | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural stretches | 61% | 45% | above the Louisiana share |
| At or near an intersection | 0.9% | 20% | below the Louisiana share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 41% | 35% | about the same as the Louisiana share |
| A drinking driver | 22% | 31% | below the Louisiana share |
| Speeding | 21% | 22% | about the same as the Louisiana share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 24% | 21% | about the same as the Louisiana share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 53% | 57% | about the same as the Louisiana share |
| Hit-and-run | 6.4% | 7.3% | about the same as the Louisiana share |
| A motorcycle involved | 2.7% | 12% | below the Louisiana share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 18% | 18% | about the same as the Louisiana share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Questions about fatal crashes on I-49 in Louisiana
- How many fatal crashes have there been on I-49 in Louisiana?
- 110 fatal crashes killed 136 people on I-49 in Louisiana from 2015 to 2024. In 2024 there were 11 fatal crashes and 13 deaths. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Where on I-49 in Louisiana do the most fatal crashes happen?
- Rapides Parish had the most fatal crashes on I-49 from 2015 to 2024: 23, with 25 deaths. St. Landry Parish was second with 20.
- How dangerous is I-49 in Louisiana per mile?
- 4.4 fatal crashes a year per 100 miles over 2015 to 2024, on 250 miles of road, against 10.6 for all interstates in Louisiana. That ranks 5 of 5 interstates in Louisiana and 141 of 172 interstate pages on this site. FARS records crashes, not traffic, so this is crashes per mile of road, not per vehicle.
Other roads in Louisiana with a page
- I-10
- I-12
- I-20
- I-55
- State Highway 1
- State Highway 10
- State Highway 16
- State Highway 182
- State Highway 22
- State Highway 30
- State Highway 308
- US 165
All fatal crashes in Louisiana, with every road ranked.
Where the I-49 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash whose road NHTSA filed as I-49 in Louisiana. Ramps, frontage and service roads are left out. Where two routes share a road, NHTSA files each crash under one of them, so a shared stretch counts on one route only. A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. Totals in state and news reports for a road usually differ: they include ramps and frontage roads, or count from preliminary reports. The full method.