2003 Louisiana Traffic Records Data Report

2003 LOUISIANA TRAFFIC RECORDS DATA REPORT RELEASED

October 4, 2004

Drunk driving and not wearing a safety belt costs drivers billions of dollars according to the 2003 Louisiana Traffic Records Data Report, prepared by Helmut Schneider of LSU’s E. J. Ourso College of Business. Schneider and Jim Champagne, executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, presented the report at a press conference on October 4, 2004, at the Lod Cook Alumni Center on LSU’s campus.
In 2003, traffic crashes cost Louisianans $5.7 billion, amounting to approximately $2,022 per licensed driver. 45 percent of traffic fatalities were alcohol-related, with 66 percent of occupants who died in a crash did not use a safety belt.

In 2003, there were 791 fatal crashes. The number of injuries decreased from 2002, as well as the number of fatalities; 82,000 injuries were recorded, a decrease of 5 percent, and 902 deaths occurred, a decrease of 1.3 percent from the 2002 total. 403 of the deaths are estimated to be alcohol related.
The declining use of safety belts is also a primary factor in the number of fatalities and injuries on Louisiana roads. 66 percent of drivers and 71 percent of occupants aged 5 and older killed in traffic accidents were not wearing a safety belt. 38 percent of children age 4 and younger killed in traffic crashes were not properly restrained in a child safety seat.
For more information about the Louisiana Traffic Records Data Report or the E. J. Ourso College of Business, visit www.bus.lsu.edu or contact Helmut Schneider at 225/578-2516 or hschnei@lsu.edu.