Here’s a number worth pausing on: 371. That’s how many more pedestrians were alive at the end of the first half of 2025 compared to the same period the year before.
According to a new data analysis from the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), even though drivers struck and killed 3,024 people, it represents an 11% decline and is the largest single-year drop since they began tracking pedestrian fatalities 15 years ago. States like California, New York, Alabama, and Maryland drove significant reductions. The pedestrian fatality rate measured per 100,000 population fell to 0.90, the lowest mark since 2020.
It’s genuinely good news. The kind that suggests the investments in infrastructure, enforcement, and education happening across the country are starting to work.
Louisiana, though, is not yet fully part of that story.
Louisiana’s Progress Lags Despite National Improvements
According to the GHSA’s preliminary state-by-state data, Louisiana recorded 78 pedestrian fatalities in the first half of 2025, compared to 80 in the same period in 2024, a decline of just 2.5%. Against a national backdrop of meaningful progress, Louisiana’s numbers essentially held flat.
The rate data makes the picture worse. Louisiana’s pedestrian fatality rate in 2025 was 1.71 deaths per 100,000 population — nearly double the national average of 0.90, and one of the 10 highest rates in the country. The state’s ratio of pedestrian fatalities to its share of the U.S. population sits at 1.9 — tied for the highest in the nation alongside Hawaii, and well above states like Florida (1.8) and Arizona (1.7).
Louisiana residents are dying as pedestrians at nearly twice the national rate, and that rate barely improved last year, even as the rest of the country made historic progress.
While the national decline is encouraging, pedestrian deaths overall remain 2.5% above pre-pandemic levels — a reminder that even the best-performing states haven’t fully recovered from the dangerous driving behaviors that surged during COVID. For Louisiana, that baseline problem is compounded by decades of infrastructure built around cars, not people.
The question is what the state — and its cities — are doing about it.
Is Louisiana Doing Anything to Prevent Pedestrian Deaths?
Louisiana is pursuing a layered approach to pedestrian safety at both the state and local levels — and the most significant recent development may also be a blueprint for what other cities across the state could do next.
Infrastructure Improvements
In early April 2026, New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno’s administration presented a comprehensive Safety Action Plan calling for $171 million in improvements across 66 miles of roads. The plan includes curb extensions, speed cushions, improved lighting, and separated intersections between pedestrians and drivers, all with a goal of cutting traffic deaths in half by 2031. It’s exactly the kind of data-driven, place-based investment that advocates say other cities could model and adapt for their own high-risk corridors.
Other infrastructure improvements are underway statewide:
- The Louisiana DOTD is deploying traffic-calming measures through the Strategic Highway Safety Plan — roundabouts, narrowed lanes, and speed bumps — in high-risk areas, while prioritizing lighting upgrades on high-speed roads where nighttime crashes are most concentrated.
- The Louisiana Transportation Research Center is conducting studies to pinpoint where improvements are needed most, and Local Road Safety Program funding is making those resources available to smaller communities, not just major metros.
- Louisiana now bans hand-held device use in school zones and has increased penalties for drivers who cause fatal crashes due to fatigue.
- Law enforcement is stepping up patrols in high-risk pedestrian corridors, the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission is running public awareness campaigns statewide, like the “1 Million Steps 2 Safety” 5K, and first responders are being trained to manage crash scenes more efficiently to prevent secondary crashes.
How to Stay Safe on Louisiana Streets and Roadways
State and local governments are investing in safer streets. But infrastructure takes time, and until those improvements reach your neighborhood, your safety comes down to habits. Here’s what pedestrians specifically can do:
- Use crosswalks at corners and intersections. Cross at marked crosswalks whenever possible. Use pedestrian signal buttons, and cross only when you have the walk signal.
- Look left, right, then left again before stepping off the curb. Don’t assume a slowing car has seen you. Make eye contact with the driver before crossing.
- Watch for turning vehicles. A walk signal doesn’t protect you from a driver making a right or left turn. Check both directions before stepping out.
- Be visible at night. Wear bright or reflective clothing after dark, and carry a flashlight in poorly lit areas. It’s far easier for you to see a car’s headlights than for a driver to spot you.
- Put your phone away. Distracted walking can be as dangerous as distracted driving. Keep your eyes up and your attention on traffic.
- Use sidewalks or walk facing traffic where there are none. Facing oncoming vehicles gives you time to react if a driver drifts.
- After stepping off a bus, wait for it to pull away. Let the bus clear before crossing so you have a full sightline.
- Walk sober. Impairment affects judgment and reaction time in ways that are easy to underestimate.
Have You Been Injured in a Pedestrian Accident?
Even as Louisiana works toward safer streets, pedestrian accidents continue to occur every day. When a driver’s potential negligence puts you in harm’s way, the consequences can be devastating. If you or a loved one has been injured in a pedestrian accident and you wish to discuss the specifics of your case in a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer, please contact us today.