This report, distributed by Simien & Simien, LLC, examines newly released national data showing Louisiana was among a small number of states where traffic fatalities rose in 2025, even as the nationwide total declined significantly.
The National Safety Council estimated 37,810 motor vehicle deaths nationwide in 2025, a 12 percent decrease from a revised count of 42,789 in 2024, according to preliminary analysis published by the organization in February 2026. Overall miles driven increased 0.9 percent during that same period.
Louisiana was one of only eight states to see an increase in traffic deaths rather than a decrease, with fatalities rising approximately 5 percent compared to 2024, according to the NSC's state-level breakdown. Hawaii, Wyoming, and Kansas recorded the largest increases nationally, each at 10 percent or more, followed by New Mexico, Idaho, Louisiana, Vermont, and Colorado.
By contrast, nine states and the District of Columbia recorded decreases of more than 15 percent, led by the District of Columbia at 52 percent and California at 40 percent.
"The decrease in roadway fatalities is more than a number. It represents lives saved and families kept whole," NSC President and CEO Lorraine Martin said in a statement accompanying the national figures.
Separately, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data has shown that speeding was a factor in 30 percent of Louisiana's traffic fatalities in 2023, up from 23 percent in 2020, pushing the state's rate slightly above the national average. Nearly 83 percent of Louisiana's speeding-related fatalities that year occurred on non-interstate roads, according to the same analysis.
"We have a message for speeding drivers: Chill out and slow down!" Louisiana Highway Safety Commission Executive Director Lisa Freeman said in a news release accompanying the speeding data. Freeman also noted that speeding drivers killed in crashes often were not wearing seat belts.
Impaired driving has also remained a persistent factor in Louisiana crashes, accounting for roughly 31 percent of the state's traffic fatalities in a recent reporting period, according to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. Separately, a 2026 analysis of federal crash data found Louisiana's DUI fatalities fell 10.3 percent in 2024, ranking the state 20th among 31 states that recorded improvement that year.
Motorcyclists face a disproportionate risk from speeding-related crashes in Louisiana. NHTSA data has shown that 36 percent of motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes in 2023 were speeding, compared with 22 percent of passenger vehicle drivers involved in fatal crashes that year.
Louisiana follows a pure comparative fault system for personal injury claims arising from vehicle collisions. Under this system, an injured party can recover damages even if found mostly at fault for a crash, though the amount recovered is reduced in proportion to their own percentage of fault. Louisiana law generally allows one year from the date of an accident, known as the prescriptive period, to file a personal injury lawsuit.
The traffic safety data referenced in this release was compiled by the National Safety Council, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. The figures are presented for general public awareness and are subject to revision as final crash data is processed.
Simien & Simien, LLC represents car accident victims in Baton Rouge and throughout Louisiana, including matters involving truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, and wrongful death claims.
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