Consistently ranked as one of the top cities for drinking, New Orleans is known for its robust nightlife and bar scene. However, excessive alcohol consumption in New Orleans and Louisiana has led to an increase in alcohol-related driving accidents.
Alcohol consumption is correlated with neuronal damage and inhibits neurotransmission. These effects can lead to the loss of functional neurons, or neurodegeneration, causing cognitive dysfunction.
To be considered an alcohol-impaired crash, the vehicle operator must have a blood alcohol concentration of at least 0.08 grams per deciliter. However, alcohol-related fatalities where the driver had a blood alcohol concentration of below 0.08 g/dL constitute 2,337 deaths. Additionally, 84% of all drivers drinking alcohol had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 g/dL. The most common blood alcohol concentration in alcohol-related traffic fatalities was 0.131 g/dL in 2022.
In the continental United States, those with the most significant number of fatalities were Texas, California and Florida. Among total traffic-related deaths, those that were related to alcohol-impaired driving ranged from 43% in Rhode Island and South Carolina to 22% in Utah. Louisiana fell between the extremes with 29%.
Louisiana has an average of 5.82 driving under the influence deaths per 100,000 residents, the 7th highest in the United States. Additionally, the arrest rate is only 59.92 per 100,000, ranking 49th of all 50 continental states. In 2023, an estimated 244 Louisiana residents lost their lives in alcohol-related traffic fatalities.
In Louisiana, the punishment for drunk driving is based on prior offenses. First-time DUI offenders may face six months in jail, a hefty fine, license suspension and community service. However, if the DUI offense involves a fatality or child endangerment then it is a felony.
Second-time offenders must install an ignition interlock, which requires a breathalyzer test to operate a vehicle. On the third offense, the fine can be up to $2,000, and the offender faces one to five years in prison. For a fourth offense, the fine reaches $5,000 and jail time ranges from a minimum of 10 years to a maximum of 30. Louisiana does not permit DUI expunction from permanent records.
The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission identifies alcohol-related crashes as a “critical issue,” with 30.1% of vehicle collisions being alcohol-related in 2023.
Louisiana follows a larger trend of increased alcohol-related crashes across the country.
In 2022, 13,524 lives were lost in alcohol-related driving accidents in the United States. These fatalities accounted for 32% of the approximately 42,263 traffic deaths, a proportion that has increased by almost 4% from 2019.
The leading cause of death for teens is car crash-related fatalities. Additionally, underage drinking is responsible for a third of those crashes. In 2022, 30% of fatal crash victims aged 15 to 20 had blood alcohol concentrations of at least 0.1 g/dL. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notes that minimum drinking age laws have saved 31,959 lives since their creation in 1975.
Of the 13,524 people killed in 2022 due to alcohol-impaired driving crashes, 59% were the vehicle operators. Passengers of alcohol-impaired drivers constituted 12% of fatalities. Occupants of other vehicles and nonoccupants comprise the rest with 16% and 12%, respectively.
The percentage of alcohol-impaired drivers with prior driving-related infractions did not differ primarily based on blood alcohol content. However, drivers in fatal traffic accidents were 3 times more likely to have a previous DUI conviction.
