Highway Fatalities Show Major Decline In Louisiana

Congratulations! What you're doing is working. Since 2007 fatal crashes on Louisiana roadways have decreased by almost 30%. Almost all of the credit for that incredible decrease in sadness and sorrow can be attributed to you.

You are doing the right thing by buckling up in the front and backseat. By wearing a seat belt in your pickup truck. By not getting behind the wheel while impaired or allowing impaired friends to drive, you have made a huge difference.

Over the past 7 years fatal crashes on Louisiana roadways have gone from 1,000 down to 700. I know you're thinking that 700 is still a lot, but the flip side of that is the 300 people who are alive today. Colonel John Leblanc, Director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, says the use of seat belts in the front and back seats have shown to be an incredible life saving tool. Compared to 2009 when the law was first put in place, backseat safety belt use has gone up to 55%.

"If you look back before we had that universal seat belt law, that rate of compliance was only 27.2%. So there's an increase of about 102% right there."

Leblanc's comments were reported by The Louisiana Radio Network.

He went on to say that while seat belt use is certainly the major factor in these much improved safety statistics. There are other factors that need to be included. Most notably the educational programs put in place by many different agencies across the state.

"State Police, Sheriff's Departments, City Police and also non-law enforcement advocates,"

Leblanc said that without the efforts of these groups and agencies the motoring public would not be aware of how important seat belt use really is. He also said a lot of the credit for our safer roadways goes directly to motorist.

"The safest things you can do is buckle up, never drive impaired and never get in a vehicle with an impaired driver,"

It appears that more and more drivers in Louisiana are taking heed and driving responsibly and we are starting to see those actions pay off in lives saved across the state.