A NOPD cruiser ran a red light and collided with two people last Saturday night in the Central Business District, sending both to the emergency room, according to their attorney.

According to a press release issued by the NOPD, the officer involved was off-duty and was responding to an emergency call at the time of the accident. The NOPD did not provide additional details other than to say that “the officer driving the car underwent standard after-accident testing, which included substance abuse tests.” [Read more…]

According to a recent release by the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for teenagers in the United States. That’s one of the reasons why Oct. 16-21 has been designated National Teen Driver Safety Week. As an active participant in National Teen Driver Safety Week, the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission and similar state and national organizations are working together to raise awareness of the No. 1 killer of our nation’s teens.

Young drivers ages 15- to 20-years old are especially vulnerable to death and injury on our roadways for a number of reasons, which include immaturity and inexperience behind the wheel, low seat belt use, distracted driving and alcohol. While all of these issues contribute to the high teen death rate, safety advocates are growing increasingly concerned with driver distractions. [Read more…]

The Louisiana Highway Safety Commission through a press release cautioned motorists against speeding during the heavy summer travel period.

Motorist should also be aware that enforcement activity, including DWI checkpoints, are usually increased by the State Police and local authorities during the upcoming 4th of July holiday.

BATON ROUGE –With the heavy summer travel season in full swing, Louisiana highway safety officials are warning drivers that speeding is a leading factor in vehicle crashes that result in deaths and injuries. [Read more…]

According to a recent report in the Times Picayune Louisiana drivers do not rank very high in their knowledge of highway traffic rules. The article indicates that Louisiana drivers, and women in particular, may not be pleased with the results of the latest GMAC National Drivers Test.

The test measured America’s driving IQ in all 50 states.

“Louisiana is 39th, where #1 is the best score,” says Scott Eckman, Chief Marketing Officer for GMAC Insurance Company.

In fact, many state motorists would not meet the basic requirements to get a driver’s license if they took the test today. [Read more…]