BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – Every day, drivers fill streets across Baton Rouge. Many reach their destinations without any problems. But there are times when a motorist’s attention might not be on the road. In seconds, a life-changing crash can occur.
Three state highway intersections in Baton Rouge had the most crashes from 2017-2021. A total of 957 wrecks happened at those sites.
According to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, those three intersections were:
- Airline Highway at Bluebonnet Boulevard: 335 wrecks
- Airline Highway at Old Hammond Highway: 312 wrecks
- Nicholson Drive at Brightside Drive: 310 wrecks
Dangers of distracted driving
Many wrecks are the result of distracted driving. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that can include:
- talking on a cell or to people in the vehicle
- texting on a phone
- eating or drinking
- changing the radio or navigation system.
NHTSA says it’s “anything that takes your attention away from the task of safe driving.” Activities like these resulted in the deaths of 3,142 people in 2020.
Guidelines for local drivers
The Baton Rouge Police Department wants drivers to follow basic safety guidelines.
For example, don’t speed up when coming to an intersection with a traffic light that turned yellow.
BRPD’s Traffic Division Commander Gerrick Nelson said, “Obey the traffic signal and speed limit. The signals and regulatory signs are there for everyone’s safety. Do not attempt to ‘beat the light.’”
“Drive defensively,” he said. “Expect other drivers to violate the red light. Wait a second or two before entering the intersection because another driver may be trying to ‘beat the light.’”
The commander also urges drivers to, “put the phone down and pay attention.”