Louisiana Road Safety Plan Highlights Impaired Driving, Reckless Behavior

According to a staff report in the Plaquemine Post South, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DTOD) and the governor’s office have issued a plan to improve safety on the state’s roads. “The Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP), updated every five years, identifies emphasis areas, strategies and tactics for reducing fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads across the state.”

The article notes a rise in traffic deaths in the last year. “Preliminary data shows 971 people lost their lives due to a motor vehicle crash in the state last year. This is a 17 percent increase from 2020, where there were 828 fatalities.”

The strategies mentioned primarily focus on unsafe driver behavior. The article quotes Colonel Lamar Davis, Louisiana State Police Superintendent, as saying, “Louisiana State Police works closely with our public safety partners to increase enforcement and provide public safety education; however, we need every motorist to partner with us. This means avoiding distractions while driving, maintaining a safe speed, ensuring every passenger is properly restrained, and never driving while impaired.”

Meanwhile, the plan does little to address infrastructure, road design, or speed limits, all factors that can affect the likelihood of fatal crashes and injuries. The document somewhat addresses infrastructure issues, mentioning “roadway/lane departure, intersections, and non-motorized users.”