As Louisiana’s largest city, it is perhaps no surprise that many of the state’s 160,000 annual traffic accidents happen in New Orleans. Whether the Big Easy is your home or a travel destination, it’s vital to understand what risks you can face while driving in the area to help keep you and your loved ones safe on the road.
Louisiana Traffic Accident Statistics
In 2024, Louisiana recorded 147,073 traffic collisions of all severities, including fatal accidents, injury crashes, and wrecks that only caused property damage. Of these crashes, 74% were classified as property damage-only wrecks. About 8%, or 12,338 crashes, caused minor injuries, and 2,811 resulted in serious injuries.
Only 705 crashes, or less than 0.5%, were classified as fatality wrecks.
Car Crash Data for Orleans Parish
Many of Orleans Parish’s reported accidents occurred in New Orleans.
Specifically, in 2024, there were:
- 57 fatality wrecks
- 455 crashes resulting in serious injuries
- 1,358 accidents that caused minor injuries
- 3,037 collisions believed to have resulted in some injury
- 12,437 property damage-only wrecks
Altogether, 17,344 accidents of all types happened in Orleans Parish in 2024, which was more than 10% of all crashes that were reported in the state.
Significantly, these statistics point to certain trends when it comes to the likelihood of experiencing an accident in New Orleans, including:
- About five fatal crashes occur every month, or about one per week
- Approximately 1.24 serious injury crashes happen every day
- More than three minor injury accidents are reported daily on average
- Every three hours, a collision in Orleans Parish results in some type of injury
- More than one property damage-only crash per hour happens daily
While it is impossible to determine your specific risk of being involved in a crash, this data does suggest that accidents in Orleans Parish are not an isolated occurrence.
Tips for Reducing Your Chance Of A New Orleans Car Crash
You cannot control other people’s driving behaviors, but you can take steps to adjust your own and reduce the likelihood you will be involved in a New Orleans accident. Taking these precautions can also lower your chance of suffering severe or fatal injuries in the event you cannot avoid a collision.
For example, you’ll want to make sure that you do the following:
- Wear your seat belt at all times, even for short trips
- Obey the speed limit and all other traffic laws
- Drive defensively and look around you before turning or changing lanes
- Remember the right-of-way rules, especially at uncontrolled intersections
- Put away your cellular phone and all other distractions while driving
Finally, you should never mix drinking or using drugs and driving. Even prescription medications can cause you to become drowsy behind the wheel, impair your judgment, and increase the likelihood of a wreck.
Is Driving Safely in New Orleans Possible?
Although auto accidents regularly happen in New Orleans, that does not mean you are destined to be involved in a crash. Your choices behind the wheel can lower both your risk of experiencing an accident as well as prevent serious injuries in the event of a collision.
If you do suffer an accident in the city, recovering compensation afterward can be complicated. Even property damage crashes can leave you facing expensive tow and repair bills that you may not be able to cover. Therefore, it can be helpful to speak with an experienced car accident lawyer about your options, even if you do not believe you have been seriously hurt.
Contact a New Orleans, LA Car Accident Lawyer from Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers for Help Today
For more information, please contact Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation with a car accident lawyer in New Orleans, LA today. We have three convenient locations in Louisiana, including Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Lafayette.
We proudly serve East Baton Rouge Parish, Lafayette Parish, Orleans Parish, and its surrounding areas:
Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers – Baton Rouge Office
404 Europe Street
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70124
(225) 263-4787
Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers – New Orleans Office
318 Harrison Avenue Suite 107
New Orleans, Louisiana, 70802
(504) 294-3804
Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers – Lafayette Office
1318 Camellia Boulevard Suite 206
Lafayette, Louisiana, 70508
(337) 4732991