The Most Dangerous Roadway in Louisiana Runs Through Lafayette

According to the Car Insurance Comparison website, Louisiana is ranked 5th for having the most dangerous roadways in America.

And THE most dangerous roadway in Louisiana? Well, it runs right through Lafayette and, believe it or not, it's NOT Interstate 10.

To determine the order by which each state ranks for the safety of its roadways, the Car Insurance Comparison website fleshed out information from a few different sources.

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The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration's website offers information on crash statistics; the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website lists fatality facts; and the Federal Highway Administration, which operates under the US Department of Transportation, lists statistics that helped the CIC put the list together.

The categories that the CIC used to classify each state included:

• the number of fatalities in which speed was a factor
• the percentage of seat belt users in the state
• the number of bridges that were ranked as below par
• the number of fatal crashes on each state's highways
• the amount of funding each state dedicates toward its highways
• the per capita death rates related to highway crashes

Each year, between 2012 and 2019, at least 700 people have died on Louisiana's highways. That's more than 5,800 deaths as a result of traffic crashes.

These statistics, combined with other information from the aforementioned categories, put Louisiana as having the 5th most dangerous highways, according to CIC.

Now, which highway within Louisiana is the most dangerous?

Before I read the story, I guessed that it would be Interstate 10, due to the high number of incidents reported on the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge. But, I was wrong.

The most dangerous highway in Louisiana runs through many cities and towns in Acadiana: Jennings, Crowley, Scott, Lafayette, Broussard, New Iberia, Franklin, Morgan City... do you see where we are heading?

Highway 90.

FlexFleet Rental's website lists Highway 90 as Louisiana's Most Dangerous Highway and says that it has an average of 29.5 fatalities each year.

What makes Highway 90 so dangerous? Well, we are all aware of the horrible condition of the roadway, especially between Broussard points south/east.

The other factor, which might be the biggest contributing factor, is the fact that we have some of the worst drivers in the country. We ranked 5th in that category, too.

Drivers, pay attention. Put the phone down. Plan your route. Don't follow too closely. Leave early enough to make it to your destination without having to speed. Don't drink and drive. Know your vehicle's limits. Know YOUR limits.

Let's work to get our ranking up by reducing the number of crashes.