Louisiana, famous for its fantastic Mardi Gras celebrations, has found itself on a list of the worst states for drunk driving, according to data analyzed by backgroundchecks.org and released in March 2017.
The Bayou State came in at thirteenth on the list, which identified Louisiana as having a DUI death rate (per 100,000) of 5.23 and 5,339 DUI arrests. First on the list was Wyoming, followed by:
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Montana
- South Carolina
- Mississippi,
- New Mexico
- Kentucky
- Maine
- Arkansas
- Idaho
- Texas
“To create a ranking of states, we took a combination of deaths directly attributable to DUIs, DUI arrests per 100,000 people, and drinking too much before driving, as reported by drivers themselves,” backgroundchecks.org said in its release of the data. “We then created a weighted formula.”
The original data used to create the weighted formula came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. BackgroundChecks.org focuses on public safety, online privacy, home security and open government, and it regularly gathers new data and research on issues affecting public welfare.
Take Note: If you have lost your license and need to work on driver’s license restoration, browse through the attorney directories on www.Drunkdrivingattorneys.com or www.DriversLicenseRestorers.com. Pick an attorney experienced and knowledgeable in the driver’s license appeal (restoration) process in your state. If you need to get treatment to help make a case for restoring your license, there are treatment center directories on both sites. If you need information about points on your driving record, check your state department of motor vehicles. In Louisiana, go here. Helping yourself is always the first step in having your DUI attorney help you.
According to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, in 2016 there were 295 fatalities in vehicles with alcohol. Information on Louisiana’s DUI laws can be found here. And, even more information on DUI laws across the nation can be found here.
A factor in Louisiana making the backgroundchecks.org list very well could be the state’s lack of resources to monitor and enforce driving and DUI laws. A 2016 article highlighted significant police staffing problems in Louisiana’s largest city, New Orleans, and pointed out that its issue is indicative of a larger state and national situation.
At the time of the article, New Orleans Police Department spokesman Tyler Gamble said the department had lost 60 officers as a result of retirement, resignation, termination and death.
“Departments are struggling to find not only interested, but interested and qualified, candidates to join the force,” Jim Burch, vice president of the Police Foundation, said in a recent NBC News report. “With everything happening around policing from salary to criticism, the question many people are asking is ‘is it worth it?’”
It perhaps comes as no surprise that New Orleans, best know for Bourbon Street, is reportedly the worst location in the state for drinking-related issues, according to an online article in 24/7 Wall St.
At the time of the article, nearly one in five adults in the New Orleans area reported binge or heavy drinking at least once per month. To boot, New Orleans does not restrict drinking in public, which is especially significant in the city’s French Quarter.
“The fact that over 10,000 people a year die from DUI-related accidents is a travesty,” Trent Wilson, co-author of the backgroundchecks.org research, was quoted as saying. In addition to those killed, some 200,000 sustain injuries as a direct result of someone driving under the influence, the organization notes.
“We hope this research will open some eyes and make people think twice before drinking and driving,” Wilson said.
