Summer in Louisiana means one thing for sports fans: road trips. Whether you’re making the run down I-10 to catch a Saints preseason game in New Orleans, heading to Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge for a scrimmage, or cruising US-90 through Acadiana for a weekend in Lafayette, millions of Louisianans hit the road between June and August.
What most people don’t think about before they leave: Louisiana is one of the most dangerous states in the country for drivers. And summer is when the numbers get worse.
Before you pack the cooler and load up the car, here’s what the data shows — and what to do if a crash puts your trip in a ditch.
Louisiana Is One of the Most Dangerous States for Drivers — Especially in Summer
This isn’t a perception problem. It’s a numbers problem.
Louisiana consistently ranks near the top of national fatality rate rankings, with traffic deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled well above the national average. According to NHTSA state traffic safety data, Louisiana recorded hundreds of traffic fatalities in recent reporting years, with a disproportionate share occurring during summer months when travel volume spikes and impaired driving incidents climb.
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) tracks crash data across the state’s highway network. What that data consistently shows: speed, distracted driving, and impaired driving are the leading contributing factors — not road conditions alone, though Louisiana’s infrastructure certainly doesn’t help.
If you’re a Louisiana sports fan, you already know the roads. You’ve probably driven them dozens of times. That familiarity is part of the problem — it breeds the kind of comfort that makes people push a little faster and pay a little less attention.
The Roads You’ll Likely Take — and Where Crashes Cluster
Most Louisiana sports road trips run along the same corridors. Those corridors also happen to be some of the state’s highest-crash stretches.
The I-10 stretch between Baton Rouge and New Orleans
This is one of the most heavily traveled highways in the South. The elevated sections through the Atchafalaya Basin are scenic, but there’s almost no shoulder and very little room for error at highway speed. Rear-end crashes on this stretch are common, particularly near the merge points approaching the I-10/I-12 split in Baton Rouge.
I-12 east through Livingston Parish
This corridor sees significant crash volume, especially on summer weekends when traffic heading toward the North Shore and the Florida Parishes increases. The speed differential between through-traffic and slower-moving vehicles creates real hazard zones, particularly near Denham Springs and Hammond.
I-10 west toward Lafayette and the Texas border
This route carries heavy 18-wheeler traffic year-round. The oil and gas economy keeps commercial truck volume high on this corridor even in summer. When an 80,000-pound rig is involved in a highway crash, the results are catastrophic for the passenger vehicles sharing the road.
US-90 through Acadiana
The slower, more scenic route between Lafayette and New Orleans — but slower doesn’t mean safer. Two-lane sections and rural stretches with limited lighting make this road genuinely dangerous after dark.
What the Data Shows About Summer Driving in Louisiana
A few factors consistently drive up crash rates during summer months across Louisiana:
Increased traffic volume. More vehicles on the road means more exposure. Summer brings not just local sports fans but tourists, festival-goers, and travelers from across the region. Peak traffic on Louisiana interstates climbs significantly between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
Impaired driving. Tailgates, crawfish boils, and postgame celebrations are part of Louisiana sports culture. They’re also a real factor in DUI crash numbers. NHTSA data shows drunk driving fatalities spike on summer holiday weekends — the Fourth of July and Labor Day rank among the deadliest travel periods in the country.
Distracted driving. Navigation apps, group chats, music, and passenger activity all compete for driver attention on unfamiliar roads. On high-speed interstates, a two-second distraction at 75 mph covers well over 200 feet.
Heat and fatigue. Long summer drives in Louisiana heat wear on drivers more than they realize. Drowsy driving is underreported but well-documented as a crash contributor, particularly on longer interstate stretches.
If a Crash Happens on Your Trip — What to Do First
Most people who end up in a highway crash have never been in one before. The next few minutes matter more than people realize.
Stay at the scene and check on everyone. Don’t move your vehicle unless it creates a hazard for other traffic. Turn on hazard lights immediately.
Call 911. Get law enforcement to the scene even if the crash seems minor. A police report is one of the most important documents in any injury claim.
Document everything before you leave. Take photos of all vehicles, the road, any skid marks, nearby signs, and the positions of the cars. If there are witnesses, get their names and contact information. Do this before anything gets moved.
Get medical attention — even if you feel okay. Adrenaline masks pain. Injuries like whiplash, herniated discs, and concussions frequently don’t fully present until 24 to 72 hours after a crash. Getting examined the same day creates a medical record that matters if you file a claim.
Don’t give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company. This is the one people get wrong most often. The adjuster will call quickly and sound friendly. Their job is to gather information that limits what you can recover. Talk to an attorney first. That call costs you nothing.
If you’re dealing with injuries after a crash anywhere in Louisiana, the car accident lawyers at Mansfield Melancon (mmcdlaw.com) handle claims across Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Lafayette. You pay nothing unless they win.
Louisiana’s Legal Deadline: Don’t Wait Too Long
One thing Louisiana drivers often don’t know until it’s too late: there are strict legal deadlines for filing a personal injury claim after a crash. Usually you have two years to file, but that window can be shorter depending on the circumstances — and the earlier you get an attorney involved, the better your position.
Evidence disappears. Witnesses become harder to locate. Insurance companies use delay against you. A free consultation with the Louisiana personal injury attorneys at Mansfield Melancon (mmcdlaw.com) costs nothing and tells you exactly where you stand.
Enjoy the Trip. Just Know What to Do If Something Goes Wrong.
Louisiana sports road trips are some of the best in the country. The drive itself is half the experience — the basin, the bayous, the exits with boudin and cracklins that shouldn’t be as good as they are.
None of that changes.
But the roads are genuinely dangerous, and crashes happen to careful drivers all the time. Know your route, take breaks on long drives, and keep this in mind: if a crash happens on your way to the game, call Mansfield Melancon before you call the insurance company. The consultation is free, and knowing where you stand costs you nothing.
Mansfield Melancon Injury Lawyers serves crash survivors across Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Lafayette.
Get a free consultation at mmcdlaw.com/contact-us — no fees unless you win.
Mansfield Melancon Injury Lawyers • www.mmcdlaw.com • Baton Rouge • New Orleans • Lafayette
Guest post prepared for louisianasports.net • June 2026 • Cross-Market / Statewide
More Top Stories
