Understanding and tracking statistics for motor vehicle accidents can assist authorities in making roads safer. The information gathered when putting together these facts enables them to see where issues lie and what might be contributing to crashes.
In 2021, Louisiana had a terrible year for fatal motor vehicle accidents. The number skyrocketed. This continued a trend from 2020 where fatalities also jumped.
Statistics from 2019 to 2021
The goal of authorities is always to see deadly crashes reduce each year. In 2019, numbers hit a low point, which was encouraging. That year there were 727 deaths on Louisiana roads. That was below the five-year average of 755.4.
However, the numbers jumped in 2020. That was especially concerning since the trend for that year was a much lower number of accidents across the country because of fewer vehicles on the road. However, in Louisiana, the number of fatalities went up significantly to 828.
While authorities felt that was disheartening, they were in for a shock in 2021. Once again, there was a huge jump in the number of deadly accidents. In total, 972 people died that year on Louisiana roads.
Targets for 2021
Authorities had higher hopes for 2021. The five-year average was 770.6. This would be higher than the 2020 number of deaths. They set a target goal of only 741 deaths, which also allowed for an increase over the 2020 figure.
Still, despite giving higher targets, the reality was shocking. The total number of deaths was way higher than the goal and even much higher than the average.
The new five-year average became 813.6. The upwards trend is not what authorities wanted to see. The goal remains reducing the number of lives lost to auto accidents.