Louisiana Crash Hot Spots: The Most Dangerous Roads and Intersections

Where Louisiana Traffic Deaths Happen

Louisiana lost 766 people on its roads in 2025, up from 753 the year before, according to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission and LSU’s CARTS crash data team. Injuries fell to a record low, but deaths didn’t follow. Motorcycle deaths jumped from 69 to 96, and deaths in crashes with a drunk driver climbed from 161 to 180. Pedestrians made up about one in five of everyone killed.

East Baton Rouge Parish has the most traffic deaths in the state, averaging 85 a year from 2020 to 2024, followed by Orleans at 63 and Caddo at 43, according to the LHSC’s FFY 2027 problem identification summary. The state’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan works on four areas: distracted driving, impaired driving, seat belt use, and the design and operation of the roads themselves.

The Louisiana Corridors Where Crashes Pile Up

These interstates and old U.S. highways show up in Louisiana crash coverage week after week. Here’s what makes each one tricky, with published figures where they exist.

1. Interstate 10: Baton Rouge to New Orleans

I-10 is the spine of south Louisiana. It crosses the Mississippi on the Horace Wilkinson Bridge in Baton Rouge, splits with I-12 on the east side of town, then runs past Gonzales, over long swamp bridges to LaPlace, across the Bonnet Carré Spillway and into Kenner, Metairie and New Orleans. It doubles as a hurricane evacuation route.

The trouble spots are the merges. The bridge approaches and the I-10/I-12 split in Baton Rouge back up almost daily, and through Metairie the exits around Causeway Boulevard and Veterans Memorial Boulevard come fast. Statewide, the LHSC counted 107 deaths on Louisiana interstates in 2025, up from 102 in 2024.

2. Interstate 12: Baton Rouge to Slidell

I-12 runs from the split in Baton Rouge east through Denham Springs, Walker and Hammond, past Covington and Mandeville, and ends at I-10 and I-59 in Slidell. It’s the main commuter route for Livingston, Tangipahoa and St. Tammany parishes. Stop-and-go traffic near the Covington exit at U.S. 190 and in the Livingston Parish work zones makes rear-end crashes the classic I-12 wreck.

The regional planning commission’s Path to Zero safety plan found 154 fatal crashes and 186 serious-injury crashes in St. Tammany Parish from 2017 to 2021, concentrated on I-10, I-12 and U.S. 190. DOTD has been widening I-12 in stages from O’Neal Lane in Baton Rouge east into Livingston Parish.

3. Airline Highway (U.S. 61): Baton Rouge to Kenner

Airline Highway was the road between Baton Rouge and New Orleans before the interstates, and it still carries local traffic through Prairieville, Gonzales and LaPlace. It becomes Airline Drive through Kenner and Metairie and Tulane Avenue inside New Orleans. Long stretches are lined with motels, gas stations and strip centers, and drivers turning across several lanes cause angle and rear-end crashes.

It’s a hard road to cross on foot. In Jefferson Parish, home to Metairie and Kenner, the LHSC counts an average of 34 traffic deaths a year from 2020 to 2024, about 10 of them pedestrians. New Orleans’ new safety plan puts Tulane Avenue, in two segments from Carrollton Avenue to Loyola Avenue, on its priority project list.

4. Interstate 49: Lafayette to Shreveport

I-49 runs north from Lafayette past Opelousas, through Alexandria and past Natchitoches to Shreveport, where it meets I-20 downtown. Most of it is rural, with long gaps between exits, heavy trucks and overnight drivers, the setup for drowsy and high-speed crashes.

The Shreveport end is busier. Shreveport police counted 82 crashes in 2024 at Kings Highway and I-49 and 76 at Bert Kouns Industrial Loop and I-49, both on the department’s list of the city’s most hazardous intersections.

5. U.S. 90: Lafayette to Morgan City

U.S. 90 heads southeast from Lafayette through Broussard, New Iberia and Franklin to Morgan City on the Atchafalaya River. It’s four lanes of oilfield trucks and commuters, and heavy rain can cut visibility to almost nothing.

Inside Lafayette, U.S. 90 runs up the Evangeline Thruway, where pedestrian deaths have pushed residents to call for safety fixes while the long-planned I-49 connector waits. The LHSC counts an average of 32 traffic deaths a year in Lafayette Parish from 2020 to 2024.

6. Interstate 20: Monroe to Shreveport

I-20 crosses north Louisiana from the Mississippi River bridge across from Vicksburg through Monroe, Ruston, Minden and Bossier City into Shreveport, then on to Texas. It carries a steady stream of freight, and winter can bring ice on bridges and overpasses.

The Northwest Louisiana Council of Governments safety plan counted 745 fatal or serious-injury crashes in Caddo Parish and 222 in Bossier Parish from 2018 to 2022. It lists the I-20 stretch from the I-49 interchange to Jewella Avenue among the top 25 segments on Caddo’s high injury network.

7. U.S. 190: Baton Rouge to Hammond

East of Airline Highway, U.S. 190 follows Florida Boulevard out of Baton Rouge toward Denham Springs, Walker, Albany and Hammond. When I-12 jams, traffic spills onto 190, which is narrower and darker out in Livingston Parish, with driveways every few hundred feet.

In Baton Rouge, the parish’s transportation director told WAFB in 2025 that pedestrians are “being hit pretty often” on Florida Boulevard. For the metro area as a whole, Smart Growth America’s 2024 Dangerous by Design report, as reported by WAFB in 2024, ranked Baton Rouge the fifth most dangerous metro area for pedestrians, with 172 pedestrian deaths from 2018 to 2022.

8. Interstate 55: Hammond to the Mississippi Line

I-55 starts at I-10 near LaPlace, crosses the Manchac Swamp on one of the longest bridges in the country, and runs north through Hammond and past Amite and Kentwood into Mississippi. On the swamp bridge there’s nowhere to go if traffic stops, and fog off the water can roll in fast.

Tangipahoa Parish, which I-55 cuts straight through, had 128 fatal crashes and 182 serious-injury crashes from 2017 to 2021, according to the same Path to Zero plan.

More High-Crash Locations Across Louisiana

Police crash lists, city safety plans and LHSC parish data put numbers on specific streets and intersections in Louisiana’s biggest cities.

Some of these roads are getting work. Baton Rouge and DOTD broke ground in April 2026 on a Florida Boulevard rebuild with a preliminary budget of $62.1 million, running from North 22nd Street to Airline Highway and adding sidewalks and multi-use paths on both sides, signal, drainage and lighting improvements, and a proposed signalized mid-block crossing near BRCC. Lafayette Consolidated Government announced in December 2025 that it had won $7,986,192 in federal Safe Streets and Roads for All money for the Johnston Street stretch between Bertrand Drive and Churchill Drive, near Camellia Boulevard.

How to Stay Safe on Louisiana’s Most Dangerous Roads

A few habits go a long way on these roads, whether you’re driving, walking or riding.

For Drivers:

1. Never drive after drinking: Deaths in crashes with a drunk driver rose to 180 in Louisiana in 2025. Plan a ride before you go out, especially around Mardi Gras, festivals and game days.
2. Buckle up, every seat: 241 of the people killed in passenger vehicles in 2025 weren’t wearing a belt. It takes two seconds.
3. Merge early near the split: At the I-10/I-12 split in Baton Rouge and the Causeway exits in Metairie, pick your lane well ahead instead of cutting across at the last second.
4. Watch for turning traffic on the old highways: On Airline Highway, Florida Boulevard and U.S. 90, cars pull in and out of driveways constantly. Cover the brake and leave room.
5. Slow down for rain and fog: A south Louisiana downpour can flood lanes in minutes, and fog sits on the Manchac bridge and the Atchafalaya Basin. Turn on your headlights and back off.
6. Look twice for motorcycles: Motorcycle deaths jumped from 69 to 96 in 2025. Check mirrors and blind spots before every lane change.

For Pedestrians:

1. Cross at signals: On wide roads like Florida Boulevard, Airline Highway and the Evangeline Thruway, crossing mid-block leaves drivers almost no time to react.
2. Be visible at night: After dark is when drivers are least likely to see you. Wear light colors or carry a light.
3. Make eye contact: Don’t assume a driver has seen you. Wait until the car has stopped before you step out.

For Cyclists:

1. Use paths where you can: Off-street routes like the Lafitte Greenway in New Orleans keep you away from fast traffic. Where there’s no path, stay as far right as is safe.
2. Light up: Run front and rear lights, even at dusk, and wear something bright.
3. Watch intersections closely: Turning drivers often don’t see cyclists. Never assume a driver will yield.

General Tips:

1. Know your route: If your commute includes I-10 through Baton Rouge, I-12 or Youree Drive, build in time for delays and drive defensively.
2. Check the weather before a long drive: Storms, hurricanes and the occasional ice event can change road conditions fast, especially on bridges.
3. Stay on top of alerts: DOTD’s 511 traveler information or a navigation app will show crashes, closures and construction as they happen.

What to Do If You’re Injured in a Louisiana Car Accident

A bad crash on I-10, Airline Highway or Youree Drive can leave you hurt and unsure what to do first. What you do in the first hours and days matters, for your health and for your wallet.

1. Call 911. Even if nobody seems badly hurt, get police to the scene. They’ll write the official crash report, which is what insurers go by. If anyone is seriously injured, ask for an ambulance.
2. Get checked out. Concussions and internal injuries don’t always show up right away, so see a doctor even if you feel fine.
3. Document the scene if you can. If it’s safe, photograph the vehicles, the damage and the license plates, plus skid marks, signs, weather and road conditions. Get witness contacts and swap insurance information without admitting fault.
4. Be careful with adjusters. The other driver’s insurance company may call soon after the crash. You can politely decline a recorded statement until you have your crash report and understand your options.
5. Keep everything. Medical records, bills, repair estimates, missed work, and every letter or email from an insurer.

Which agency has your report depends on where you crashed. Louisiana State Police troopers handle many crashes on interstates and state highways, especially outside city limits. Inside a city, the local police department, like NOPD in New Orleans, often takes the report, and parish sheriff’s offices cover unincorporated areas. Our Louisiana crash report guide explains how to get a copy.

Don’t know which agency responded, or would rather skip the paperwork? We can get a copy of your report for you at no cost.

Louisiana Crash Hot Spot Questions

More Louisiana Crash Guides

Parish accident news: Orleans Parish · Jefferson Parish · East Baton Rouge Parish · Caddo Parish · Lafayette Parish · St. Tammany Parish · Ascension Parish · Rapides Parish

Nearby states: Texas crash hot spots · Mississippi crash hot spots · Arkansas crash hot spots

For the latest, crashes from around the state are posted in Louisiana accident news and our recent accident alerts.