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Study: Accidents on Louisiana roads cost state more than $5 billion
Posted on October 31, 2003
BATON ROUGE - The number of alcohol-related crashes resulting in death in 2002 is down from the previous year, according to an annual report on traffic data released Thursday. Data show there were 815 fatal crashes statewide in 2002, a decline of 5.1 percent from the previous year.
But the thousands of accidents on Louisiana roads cost state citizens more than $5 billion, according to the compilation of statistics. The report shows 51,000 crashes resulting in injuries and 114,900 crashes resulting in property damage were increases over 2001.
The higher numbers of injuries and property damage in contrast to reduced numbers of deaths is due to increased seatbelt usage by motorists, said Jim Champagne, executive director of Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. However, he said, the state's compliance rate is below the national average and more needs to be done to increase seatbelt usage.
"What bothers me most is that 180 of those fatalities were young people between the ages of 15 and 20. That means 180 of our youths are not going to be here to take the reins of leadership of our state."
So far this year, the number of fatal accidents in Northwest Louisiana is up from last year but not by a significant number, state police Troop G spokesman Doug Pierrelee said. It's difficult to determine the cause of the increase until authorities are able to evaluate a bigger sample of accidents and see a variance in patterns from 2002, he said.
But that could change. "By the time the year is over, we might be under," Pierrelee said. "It could even out by the time the year is over."
In 2002, East Baton Rouge, St. Tammany, Orleans, Lafayette and Jefferson parishes reported the most fatalities with 57, 43, 40, 37 and 36, respectively.
The report released Thursday also shows 47 percent of all fatalities statewide were estimated to be alcohol-related, unchanged from the preceding year. The number of alcohol-related deaths had to be estimated because tests were not done to verify the presence of alcohol in all cases, said Helmut Schneider of the LSU Department of Information Systems and Decision Sciences, which compiled the $50,000 report. Estimates are given in national studies for the same reason, he said.
In addition to the numbers of deaths involving drunken drivers, one-third of the 102 pedestrians killed in crashes in 2002 had been drinking, Champagne said.
And while drivers ages 15-20 account for 8.7 percent of all drivers, underage drivers were involved in 39 percent of the fatal crashes and accounted for 23 percent of the DWI arrests.
Citing the high rate of alcohol among younger driver-related wrecks, Champagne said, "The argument that kids should be allowed to get into bars so they can listen to the music is tomfoolery."
He said the drunken-driving problem has to be addressed. "If we've got to shut down bars and close daquiri shops, then so be it."
Champagne collided with Gov. Mike Foster over the issue of mandatory helmet use by motorcyclists. After pointing out that the number of motorcycle fatalities rose by 3.2 percent, to 65 total, over 2001, Champagne said it is a public health issue rather than a matter of freedom of choice.
Foster later said there is no evidence that helmets save lives of motorcyclists in contrast to studies showing that seatbelt use saves lives.
The governor's chief highway safety official also criticized the Foster administration for not helping pass tougher drunken-driving laws. "On the issues of alcohol where I needed help ... that didn't happen."
Champagne's comment caused Foster to question his appointee's loyalty. "He forgets the way the organization is. The organization goes downhill," the governor said on his weekly radio show Thursday afternoon.
During the press conference Thursday at which the traffic study was released, Champagne cited proposals to make open containers of alcohol in cars a statewide crime and to ban underage people from bars as issues that could have passed with more direct help from the governor's office.
"Why did it take us to the very last possible day (of the 2003 legislative session) to pass .08 (blood-alcohol content for legal definition of DWI) in this state?" he said, crediting the powerful liquor lobby with killing other DWI legislation.
Foster issued a statement earlier in the day pointing out he was elected twice by the people of Louisiana to take care of more problems than just one specific area such as traffic safety. "Mr. Champagne has a specific focus and specific area of responsibility and does his job as he sees fit." the statement says.
In his radio show, Foster said, "He's out there trying to make policy without talking to anybody. He needs to go read the loyalty pledge on the wall out there at state police." Champagne has a colonel's rank with state police.
Selected parishes
Following is a breakdown of crashes area parishes in 2002 that resulted in fatalities.
Acadia
Total crashes: 15
Driver fatalities: 12
Passenger deaths: 2
Pedestrian deaths: 1
Total deaths: 15
Allen
Total crashes: 5
Driver fatalities: 2
Passenger deaths: 4
Pedestrian deaths: 1
Total deaths: 7
Avoyelles
Total crashes: 7
Driver fatalities: 6
Passenger deaths: 4
Pedestrian deaths: 1
Total deaths: 7
Beauregard
Total crashes: 12
Driver fatalities: 10
Passenger deaths: 2
Pedestrian deaths: 0
Total deaths: 12
Bienville
Total crashes: 6
Driver fatalities: 5
Passenger deaths: 1
Pedestrian deaths: 0
Total deaths: 6
Bossier
Total crashes: 10
Driver fatalities: 9
Passenger deaths: 3
Pedestrian deaths: 0
Total deaths: 12
Caddo
Total crashes: 31
Driver fatalities: 18
Passenger deaths: 10
Pedestrian deaths: 4
Total deaths: 32
Caldwell
Total crashes: 1
Driver fatalities: 1
Passenger deaths: 0
Pedestrian deaths: 0
Total deaths: 1
Catahoula
Total crashes: 4
Driver fatalities: 2
Passenger deaths: 1
Pedestrian deaths: 1
Total deaths: 4
Claiborne
Total crashes: 10
Driver fatalities: 7
Passenger deaths: 3
Pedestrian deaths: 1
Total deaths: 11
Concordia
Total crashes: 3
Driver fatalities: 2
Passenger deaths: 2
Pedestrian deaths: 0
Total deaths: 4
DeSoto
Total crashes: 11
Driver fatalities: 8
Passenger deaths: 5
Pedestrian deaths: 0
Total deaths: 13
East Carroll
Total crashes: 1
Driver fatalities: 1
Passenger deaths: 0
Pedestrian deaths: 0
Total deaths: 1
Evangeline
Total crashes: 13
Driver fatalities: 10
Passenger deaths: 2
Pedestrian deaths: 2
Total deaths: 14
Franklin
Total crashes: 4
Driver fatalities: 4
Passenger deaths: 0
Pedestrian deaths: 0
Total deaths: 4
Grant
Total crashes: 6
Driver fatalities: 5
Passenger deaths: 1
Pedestrian deaths: 0
Total deaths: 6
Iberia
Total crashes: 13
Driver fatalities: 10
Passenger deaths: 3
Pedestrian deaths: 1
Total deaths: 14
Jackson
Total crashes: 5
Driver fatalities: 4
Passenger deaths: 2
Pedestrian deaths: 0
Total deaths: 6
Lafayette
Total crashes: 37
Driver fatalities: 30
Passenger deaths: 5
Pedestrian deaths: 4
Total deaths: 39
LaSalle
Total crashes: 4
Driver fatalities: 2
Passenger deaths: 1
Pedestrian deaths: 1
Total deaths: 4
Lincoln
Total crashes: 15
Driver fatalities: 10
Passenger deaths: 4
Pedestrian deaths: 2
Total deaths: 16
Madison
Total crashes: 5
Driver fatalities: 1
Passenger deaths: 4
Pedestrian deaths: 0
Total deaths: 5
Morehouse
Total crashes: 6
Driver fatalities: 6
Passenger deaths: 0
Pedestrian deaths: 0
Total deaths: 6
Natchitoches
Total crashes: 6
Driver fatalities: 2
Passenger deaths: 3
Pedestrian deaths: 1
Total deaths: 6
Ouachita
Total crashes: 20
Driver fatalities: 15
Passenger deaths: 3
Pedestrian deaths: 4
Total deaths: 22
Rapides
Total crashes: 23
Driver fatalities: 14
Passenger deaths: 4
Pedestrian deaths: 6
Total deaths: 24
Red River
Total crashes: 4
Driver fatalities: 4
Passenger deaths: 0
Pedestrian deaths: 0
Total deaths: 4
Richland
Total crashes: 4
Driver fatalities: 3
Passenger deaths: 2
Pedestrian deaths: 0
Total deaths: 5
Sabine
Total crashes: 7
Driver fatalities: 6
Passenger deaths: 1
Pedestrian deaths: 0
Total deaths: 7
St. Landry
Total crashes: 15
Driver fatalities: 14
Passenger deaths: 1
Pedestrian deaths: 2
Total deaths: 17
St. Martin
Total crashes: 18
Driver fatalities: 12
Passenger deaths: 3
Pedestrian deaths: 3
Total deaths: 18
St. Mary
Total crashes: 9
Driver fatalities: 5
Passenger deaths: 6
Pedestrian deaths: 3
Total deaths: 14
Tensas
Total crashes: 4
Driver fatalities: 4
Passenger deaths: 0
Pedestrian deaths: 0
Total deaths: 4
Union
Total crashes: 5
Driver fatalities: 5
Passenger deaths: 0
Pedestrian deaths: 0
Total deaths: 5
Vermillion
Total crashes: 14
Driver fatalities: 9
Passenger deaths: 3
Pedestrian deaths: 3
Total deaths: 15
Vernon
Total crashes: 7
Driver fatalities: 6
Passenger deaths: 0
Pedestrian deaths: 1
Total deaths: 7
Webster
Total crashes: 8
Driver fatalities: 6
Passenger deaths: 0
Pedestrian deaths: 2
Total deaths: 8
West Carroll
Total crashes: 3
Driver fatalities: 3
Passenger deaths: 0
Pedestrian deaths: 0
Total deaths: 3
Winn
Total crashes: 2
Driver fatalities: 2
Passenger deaths: 2
Pedestrian deaths: 0
Total deaths: 4
Statewide
Total crashes: 815
Driver fatalities: 590
Passenger deaths: 219
Pedestrian deaths: 102
Total deaths: 911
Source: 2002 Louisiana Traffic Records Data Report
Statewide perspective
The Associated Press
Louisiana traffic accidents in 2002, by the numbers:
815 fatal crashes, down 5.1 percent from 2001.
911 deaths, down 3.8 percent from 2001.
87,100 injuries, up 7.3 percent from 2001.
51,000 crashes with injuries, up 4.4 percent from 2001.
114,900 property damage only crashes, up 4.7 percent from 2001.
65 percent of those killed in traffic accidents were drivers.
24 percent of those killed were passengers.
11 percent of those killed were pedestrians.
47 percent of traffic fatalities were alcohol-related.
65 percent of the people who died in a crash weren't wearing seat belts.
Of the people who were killed in traffic accidents:
590 were drivers, down 6.2 percent from 2001.
102 were pedestrians, up 5 percent from 2001.
65 were killed on motorcycles, up 3.2 percent from 2001.
20 were killed on bicycles, down 9.1 percent from 2001.
The estimated cost of crashes for Louisiana is $5.3 billion, $1,880 for every licensed driver in the state.
Source: 2002 Louisiana Traffic Records Data Report.
