As Louisiana marks Pedestrian Safety Month in October 2025, our state’s motorists and pedestrians face an escalating crisis that demands particular attention. The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission recently announced the sobering statistics of the NHTSA’s June 2025 report on speeding-involved wrecks for 2023: 147 pedestrians killed and 1,234 injured in 2023 alone, with 35 bicycle fatalities and 749 bicycle injuries that year.

Behind these grim statistics are real Louisiana families devastated by preventable tragedies – like the 7-year-old boy fatally struck by a semi-truck while riding his bike on Lindale Avenue in Baton Rouge, a pedestrian killed walking on Louisiana Highway 21 in Washington Parish this September, and an individual who passed away after a hit-and-run on the I-10 frontage road in Jefferson Davis Parish just this past August.

At Neblett, Beard & Arsenault, our Central Louisiana auto and pedestrian accident attorneys have spent over 40 years fighting for Louisiana families shattered by these preventable crashes and the deaths of loved ones involved in collisions with motor vehicles. We’ve witnessed firsthand how Louisiana’s deadly combination of speeding drivers and inadequate infrastructure for pedestrian safety creates dangers on highways and local roads across Louisiana. With new NHTSA data revealing that speeding fatalities in Louisiana jumped to 30% of all traffic deaths in 2023 – now above the national average – and Louisiana also ranking as the worst state for road rage, Louisiana motorists, pedestrians, and bikers face significant danger during travel.

NHTSA’s Speeding Report: Louisiana’s Pedestrian Deaths Above National Average

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s July 2025 report presents a grim outlook for Louisiana’s road safety: speeding was involved in 30% of all motor vehicle fatalities in Louisiana in 2023, a seven-percentage-point increase from the prior year’s rate. This alarming increase represents more than double 2019’s 13% rate:

• 2019: 13% of fatalities involved speeding
• 2020: 23% speeding-related deaths
• 2021: 29% of fatalities
• 2023: 30% – now exceeding the national average of 29%; 240 total speeding deaths in Louisiana; 83% of fatalities occurred on non-interstate roads
• 147 Pedestrians Killed (approximately 40% increase from just a decade ago)

Shedding Further Light on Louisiana’s 2023 Statistics:

• Young male drivers in the 15-20 age group are significantly more likely to be involved in speeding-related fatalities
• Male drivers aged 15-20 account for 37% of speeding deaths
• Twice as likely to die in speed-related crashes as females of the same age

Bicycle Casualties 2019-2023:

• 3,056 total bicycle injuries over a 5-year period
• 170 Cyclists killed
• 35 bicycle deaths in 2023 alone

Louisiana Again Leads the Nation in Road Rage Deaths

Dangerous drivers continue to pose a threat to other motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists on Louisiana’s roads. A Consumer Affairs’ 2025 study reveals that Louisiana has the worst road rage for the second consecutive year. In 2023, around 58% of all traffic fatalities in Louisiana involved aggressive or careless driving, four times the national average. Louisiana also ranks second-highest for traffic violations involving aggressive and/or careless driving.

Implications from Recent Pedestrian Tragedies in Louisiana:

• Driver awareness failures often suggest negligent or careless operation and failure to maintain proper lookout
• The duty of care to motorists and semi-truck operators is of paramount importance in residential areas with increased pedestrian traffic, including minor children

• Collisions with pedestrians in the roadway do not eliminate driver liability; it is a driver’s duty to maintain proper lookout and exercise proper care, particularly under nighttime visibility conditions, and Louisiana’s comparative fault laws will apply

• Commercial vehicle involvement increases potential damages and may warrant the vicarious liability of the trucking company

Deadly Driver Behavior Can Result in the Wrongful Death of Louisiana’s Pedestrians:

• Distracted driving (phones, screens, eating)
• Drunk driving (34% of pedestrian deaths)
• Failure to yield at crosswalks
• Right turns on red without proper lookout
• Passing stopped vehicles at crosswalks

Large Commercial Vehicle Threats:

• Large blind spots hide pedestrians and smaller vehicles
• Wide turning radius endangers stopped vehicles and pedestrians at intersections and crosswalks
• Driver fatigue and failure to maintain attention to other motorists and pedestrians in the roadway
• Inadequate driver training on pedestrian safety

Louisiana-Specific Environmental Hazards Increase Risks:

• Heavy rain during hurricane/rainy seasons reduces visibility
• Fog conditions in the approaching winter months
• Ongoing construction zones create bottlenecks in high-speed areas and often fail to provide pedestrian paths

Louisiana Laws Protect Pedestrians and Cyclists:

• La. R.S. 32:212: Drivers must yield to pedestrians in crosswalks
• La. R.S. 32:213: Vehicles must stop for pedestrians at intersections
• La. R.S. 32:214: Prohibition on passing vehicles stopped for pedestrians
• La. R.S. 32:216: Drivers must exercise due care to avoid pedestrians
• La. R.S. 32:197: Bicycles may operate on the shoulders of roadways and have road rights with oncoming and over-taking vehicles
• School Zones and Bus Stops: Enhanced duties of care

Considering the recent sobering reports and fatal tragedies, Louisiana’s upcoming October 2025 Pedestrian Safety Month demands urgent attention and a renewed commitment to keeping Louisiana’s motorists, bikers, and pedestrians safe on the state’s roadways.

Contact Our Central Louisiana Auto and Pedestrian Accident Attorneys for Assistance in the Event of a Tragedy On the Roadway:

If you or a loved one are injured or killed by speeding drivers, dangerous roads, or in a pedestrian collision with a motor vehicle on Louisiana’s roads, our experienced Alexandria injury attorneys stand ready to fight for you and your family. For over 40 years, we’ve secured millions for accident victims across Louisiana. We are aware of Louisiana’s unique pedestrian dangers and understand the devastating and often fatal injuries these crashes can cause. Most importantly, our experienced injury lawyers know how to hold negligent drivers and commercial operators accountable for dangerous driving on Louisiana’s roadways.

Contact Us Today for a Free Consultation:

24/7 Hotline: (318) 561-2500
Online Case Evaluation: Contact Us Directly

Neblett, Beard & Arsenault’s Auto Accident and Wrongful Death Attorneys have recovered millions for victims of motor vehicle collisions throughout Louisiana since 1981.