Americans often drink more alcohol when temperatures go down, especially around holidays like Christmas and New Year’s. Cold weather, shorter days, and more time spent indoors can all lead to higher alcohol use.
During the winter season, some people believe alcohol helps them stay warm. This is a common myth. Alcohol only makes the skin feel warm while the body actually loses heat faster. Winter can also affect mood. Less sunlight and colder days can make people feel tired or stressed, which may lead to more drinking.
Related: Louisiana Parishes with the Highest Drunk Driving Wrecks over the Past Five Years
Are Louisianans heavy or binge drinkers?
Across the U.S., studies show higher rates of heavy drinking and binge drinking in colder and darker areas. While Louisiana has milder winters than northern states, these same patterns still appear. Holiday parties, football season, and indoor gatherings can increase drinking even when temperatures only drop slightly.
In Louisiana, winter season drinking raises serious safety concerns on the roads. Drunk driving crashes are often reported on Interstate 10 through Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Lake Charles. Interstate 12, which connects Baton Rouge to Slidell, also sees alcohol-related crashes during winter nights and weekends. Other problem areas include Airline Highway (U.S. 61) and Florida Boulevard, where impaired driving is more common after evening events.
Alcohol slows reaction time and affects decision-making. During the winter season, darkness comes earlier and visibility is lower. When drinking increases, the risk of crashes on Louisiana highways increases as well.
Early this year, the Trump administration released a 10-page dietary guidelines for Americans. These new rules encourage people to eat more whole foods and protein and to cut back on highly processed foods, added sugars, and refined carbohydrates. Read the summary here.
The new nutrition guidance no longer gives a clear daily limit for alcohol. Instead, it tells people to drink less for better health. While this advice sounds simple, it can be confusing, especially for drivers in Baton Rouge, Ascension Parish, and across Louisiana.
Read More: The Amount of Alcohol That Causes Crashes
The car wreck linked to drunk driving in Louisiana
There is no single public data set that breaks down Louisiana drunk driving crashes. Louisiana crash reports focus on total numbers and outcomes rather than detailed collision type for impaired drivers. However, here’s what we know from our own research.
Rear-end crashes are very common in Louisiana overall
Data on all Louisiana traffic collisions shows that rear-end collisions make up more than one out of every three multi-vehicle crashes statewide. These often occur on busy roads such as Interstate 10, Interstate 12, Highway 30, and Airline Highway where vehicles slow or stop suddenly. Rear-end wrecks are the top crash type in places like Baton Rouge and Ascension Parish.
Side-impact (T-bone) crashes also occur often at intersections
T-bone accidents, happen when one vehicle strikes the side of another, often at intersections. These crashes can occur when a driver fails to stop, runs a red light, or misjudges the right of way. In Louisiana, T-bone crashes are among the deadliest types of accidents, especially when alcohol is involved. They are more common in urban areas like New Orleans, where there are many intersections, traffic lights, and crossing streets.
T-bone crashes are more serious than rear-end or sideswipe wrecks.This type of crash is dangerous because the side of a car has less structure to absorb force. When a vehicle is struck there, the impact reaches the people inside quickly and directly. Chris Corzo Injury Attorneys have handled these cases often and have recovered more than 2.2 million dollars for a T-bone car wreck in Louisiana, which shows how severe these crashes can be.
Sideswipe collisions are comparatively less common
In Louisiana, sideswipe crashes are less common than rear-end or T-bone crashes. Sideswipe crashes happen when vehicles scrape or strike each other on the side while traveling in the same or opposite direction. These crashes often occur during lane changes or while passing another vehicle. That is why the new Louisiana law allows penalties of up to $350 and possible jail time for drivers who travel even 1 mph below the speed limit in the left lane.
In summary, rear-end collisions are generally the most common type of crash on Louisiana roads and are likely common among impaired driving collisions, with T-bone crashes also significant, and sideswipes less frequent.
These pro tips support smarter decisions and safer travel.
- Set a drink limit before winter events and stick to it.
- Avoid drinking games or shots, which raise blood alcohol levels quickly.
- Stop drinking at least several hours before you plan to leave.
- Plan your ride home before the first drink.
- Use rideshare apps early, before demand increases at night.
- Do not rely on “feeling okay” to decide if you can drive.
- If you host, offer non-alcoholic drinks and help guests get home safely.
- Keep your phone charged in case you need a ride or help.
Alcohol, winter darkness, and busy highways create a risky mix in Louisiana. Understanding these patterns helps drivers make safer decisions before they ever get in the car.
If you or someone you love is hurt in a car wreck, Call Corzo at (225) 351-0459 because help, respect, and justice are only one call away.