Louisiana ranks third for road rage, according to new report

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Thousands of vehicles traverse Louisiana highways and interstate systems daily. And sometimes, things get out of hand, according to a new report by Consumer Affairs.

“One of the main reasons that we even wanted to do the report in the first place is because road rage is something everyone’s probably experienced on the road,” said Dayna Edens of Consumer Affairs.

A Consumer Affairs map shows Louisiana ranks high in the country for road rage.

“For this year’s report, we found that Louisiana is continuing to face serious road rage and aggressive driving issues, ranking third in the entire nation,” Edens said.

Some Louisiana drivers are not shocked.

“I’m not super surprised at that, I guess,” said John Paul Carmody while at a gas station.

Road rage has taken lives on Louisiana highways.

“So far this year, 46% of all fatal crashes involved careless driving, which is what we’re considering road rage in this situation. If you want to take a minute to think on that, 13% is what the national average is. So, Louisiana is coming in at 46%,” said Edens.

Consumer Affairs said to identify the worst states for road rage, it analyzed data including from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on fatal crashes related to aggressive or careless driving, dangerous driving violations and traffic incidents involving gun violence.

“We looked at traffic incidents that involved gun violence. So somebody actually pulling a weapon on you in relation to being cut off or turning when they didn’t think it was your turn, that kind of thing. And Louisiana saw 23 of those incidents between the years 2023 and 2025,” said Edens.

Carmody pondered why road rage incidents are so high.

“It’s so hot, everybody just gets a little angry behind the wheel And the roads are bad, so I think that maybe can tie into it,” he said.

Last August in Tangipahoa Parish, authorities said a man shot a pregnant teenager in a road rage incident that involved vehicles trying to cut each other off.

“Aggressive driving is one of the top four killers of people on the roads, the other three being seatbelts, distracted driving and impaired driving,” said Greg Fischer, a spokesman for the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission.

Edens said it does not have to be a dramatic confrontation on the road to be dangerous.

“The most deadly forms can be someone just literally speeding because they’re late for work [or] following too close in traffic because they think things are going a little too slow,” she said.

Fischer and Edens said it is best to stay calm when driving and not retaliate if another driver is acting erratically.

“It’s choosing to pick a fight when the stakes are just too high, considering that your vehicle has enough power to kill,” Fischer said.

Edens said the best way to protect yourself is to not engage with anybody who is being aggressive.

There is good news: Louisiana is no longer ranked No. 1 for road rage. Another southern state has that distinction.

“For our 2026 report, number one is Arkansas,” said Edens.

Fischer is glad Louisiana is making progress.

“It is good to hear that our numbers have gone down since then,” he said. “Just remember that people on the road are not your enemies. They are also human and prone to mistakes.”

Read the full report HERE.

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