Fatal Pedestrian Accidents in Louisiana
Louisiana is a southern state in the United States of America that is known best for Mardi Gras. As of 2015, the population of the state of Louisiana was recorded at 4,670,724 people. The population has been slowly but steadily increasing over time. In 2005, the population was 4,523,628 people, and over the next five years, the population increased by about 10,000 people, reaching a total population of 4,533,372 people. So when you compare these numbers, you can see that there is a slow and persistent growth occurring.
The statistics below show the number of accidents, deaths and deaths per 100,000 people each year. When you compare these numbers, you see that the number of accidents and the number of people who die in accidents has decreased even as the population increased.
- 2005, 865 accidents resulted in 955 people dying, or 21.1 people per 100,000
- 2007, 893 accidents resulted in 985 people dying, or 22.9 people per 100,000
- 2009, 726 accidents resulted in 821 people dying, or 18.3 people per 100,000
- 2010, 633 accidents resulted in 710 people dying, or 15.7 people per 100,000
- 2011, 629 accidents resulted in 675 people dying, or 14.8 people per 100,000
- 2013, 651 accidents resulted in 703 people dying, or 15.2 people per 100,000
- 2015, 674 accidents resulted in 726 people dying, or 15.5 people per 100,000
Across the nation, traffic fatalities as a whole have been declining, but unfortunately, pedestrian deaths have been increasing. In fact, 102 people were killed in traffic accidents in 2015 while they were jogging, walking to school and work, and while enjoying their neighborhood. These deaths account for 14 percent of the total number of people who died in motor vehicle accidents that year. This is a significant increase over 2010 totals, when 74 pedestrians were struck and killed by vehicles, accounting for 10 percent of the total number of traffic deaths.
These statistics are a clear indication that Louisiana needs to do more to protect the safety of all road users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcycle riders, and passenger vehicle occupants.