Report: Fatal crashes rose in St. Mary Parish

While there were fewer fatal crashes on Louisiana roadways in 2013 than 2012, St. Mary Parish saw an increase in both fatal crashes and the number of deaths resulting from those crashes.
Meanwhile, the number of crashes involving injuries declined in St. Mary Parish.
The findings are included in the 2013 Louisiana Traffic Records Data Report, which is compiled annually by the LSU Highway Safety Research Group. The report, led by Helmut Schneider, an LSU professor, compiles validated traffic safety data to inform safety experts about the causes of crashes and to assist them in measuring the progress they are making in saving lives.
According to the report, St. Mary Parish’s fatal crashes increased by one to 10 in 2013, while those crashes claimed the lives of 12 people. This represents an 11 percent increase in crashes and 20 percent increase in fatalities over the previous year.
Of those killed on parish roads, the percent of impaired drivers and those not wearing seatbelts declined.
There were two alcohol-related fatalities, down from three the previous year. The percent of drivers killed not wearing a restraint decreased 68.75 percent, to 25 percent in 2013.
Contributing to the deaths were two pedestrian fatalities. There were no bicycle or train fatalities reported in 2013.
St. Mary Parish crashes resulting in injuries dropped 9.52 percent in 2013, from 441 to 399. Those crashes resulted in 679 injuries, down 6.09 percent from 2012’s 723 injuries.
Accidents resulting in only property damage increased 6.16 percent, from 877 to 931 between 2012 and 2013.
Throughout Louisiana, fatal crashes fell slightly to 651 in 2013. These crashes claimed the lives of 703 people, down 2.9 percent from 2012 — and a 29.2 percent drop from 2007. Contributing to this overall improvement was a decline in pedestrian and bicycle fatalities.
Pedestrian deaths decreased from 122 in 2012 to 98 in 2013. Bicycle fatalities dropped by 45.8 percent — from 24 in 2012 to 13 in 2013. Despite an overall decrease in fatalities, there were 489 drivers killed in 2013, an increase of 6.8 percent over the previous year.
Louisiana’s drop in overall highway deaths in 2013 contributed to a 3.1 percent decrease in fatalities nationwide from 2012. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data shows that, in 2013, 32,719 people died in traffic crashes.
Lt. Col. John LeBlanc, executive director of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, said, “It’s encouraging to see an overall decline in lives lost on our roadways. After an increase in 2012, prompted by a rise in pedestrian and bicycle fatalities, we’re back on track for continued progress.”
LeBlanc attributed the decrease in overall fatalities to tougher impaired driving and seat belt laws, more robust enforcement, and strategically targeted public information campaigns that have helped educate Louisianans about the causes of traffic crashes.
However, he said, there is room for improvement. At least 58 percent of drivers and 52 percent of passengers who died in crashes in 2013 were not properly buckled up. This, despite the fact that Louisiana’s seat belt usage rate increased to 84.1 percent, the highest rate recorded, based on the 2014 Louisiana Seat Belt and Motorcycle Helmet Use Observation Survey.
In addition, at least 298 or 42 percent of the traffic fatalities in 2013 were alcohol-related (defined by the LSU Highway Safety Research Group as involving a driver or non-motorist with a blood alcohol concentration level of .01 or above), a slight increase over 2012.
According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 33 percent of Louisiana’s fatal crashes in 2013 involved a driver or pedestrian with a blood alcohol concentration level of .08 or higher, compared to 31 percent nationally. In Louisiana, an adult driver can be arrested with a BAC of .08 or higher. The limit for drivers under 21 is .02 blood alcohol concentration.