25 Interesting Facts About Illinois Car Crashes

Illinois car crashes happen every day, but how much do you know about the cause, location, and type of accidents that are happening in our state? Below, we will highlight some interesting facts that we learned from reviewing the 2018 Illinois Crash Facts & Statistics from the Illinois Department of Transportation and federal data.

Interesting Facts About Illinois Car Accidents

While every accident is unique, there are trends that indicate how, why, and where motor vehicle crashes commonly occur in Illinois. Whether you live in Illinois or you are traveling through our state, you should know about 2018:

General Accident Statistics

  • There were 319,146 motor vehicle accidents
  • There were 67,453 accidents with injuries
  • There were 951 fatal accidents
  • Fewer than 1% of crashes involved motorcycles
  • About 3.8% of crashes involved large trucks
  • Accidents involving deer accounted for almost 5% of accidents
  • More than three-quarters of fatal accidents (79.3%) occurred on dry roads

Accident Causes

  • More than one-third (33.7%) of accidents involved speeding
  • Speed was a factor in 36.1% of fatal crashes and 38.2% of crashes with injuries
  • 27% of fatal crashes involved alcohol, and 309 people died in alcohol-related accidents

Types of Accidents

  • The most common type of accidents were rear-end crashes
  • The five most common types of accidents were rear-end accidents, turning accidents, accidents with parked vehicles, sideswipe accidents, hitting something at an angle, and crashes with fixed objects
  • 119 motorcyclists were killed, and 2,266 were hurt in 2018 accidents
  • The number of motorcyclists who were killed and injured decreased significantly from 2017 to 2018
  • 166 pedestrians were killed, and 4,868 pedestrians were hurt in 2018 accidents
  • 24 pedalcyclists were killed, and 2,349 pedalcyclists were hurt in 2018 accidents

Accident Times and General Locations

  • About 43% of fatal crashes occurred during daylight hours
  • More accidents happened on Fridays than on any other specific day of the week
  • More fatal accidents happened on Sundays than on any other particular day of the week
  • More accidents occurred between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. than between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.
  • More fatal accidents happened between 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. than between 4 a.m. and 4 p.m.
  • More accidents happened in urban areas than in rural areas

Illinois Accidents by County

  • Only one county had more than 100,000 accidents in 2018, and that was Cook County with 162,527 crashes. Cook County also had the most fatal crashes, with 264 people losing their lives in motor vehicle wrecks.
  • Four counties had more than 10,000 accidents each in 2018, including DuPage County with 20,788 crashes, Kane County with 11,009 crashes, Lake County with 14,054 crashes, and Will County with 15,000 accidents. There were 38 fatalities in DuPage County, 27 fatalities in Kane County, 40 deaths in Lake County, and 58 deaths in Will County.
  • 22 counties each had more than 1,000 accidents, including Adams, Champaign, DeKalb, Effingham, Grundy, Jackson, Jefferson, Kankakee, Kendall, LaSalle, McHenry, McLean, Macon, Madison, Peoria, Rock Island, St Clair, Sangamon, Tazewell, Whiteside, Williamson, and Winnebago Counties

Each Illinois Car Crash Affects Real People

The statistics described above give us a glimpse of the types of car crashes that are happening in our state and why they are happening. However, it is essential to remember that each reported injury and death represents a person, and in some cases a family, whose life has been changed by a significant injury or the death of a loved one.

If you are one of the people who has been hurt or who is grieving the loss of a loved one, then the facts above may be interesting to you, but your recovery is likely your top priority.

Our experienced Illinois car accident lawyers can help you get the recovery that you deserve. Insurance companies know that we mean business, which often makes them more willing to negotiate fair settlements with us, but we will not hesitate to go to court to protect your rights. If someone else caused your accident or your loved one’s death, then we want to help you recover for your past and future:

  • Medical costs
  • Lost income
  • Out-of-pocket expenses, including funeral expenses if appropriate
  • Physical pain
  • Emotional suffering
  • Other damages as allowed by Illinois law

Call us today or fill out our online contact form to have us contact you to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation in our Bloomington, Gurnee, or Rockford Illinois offices or your home or hospital room. We also invite you to download a free copy of our free book, The Ultimate Guide for Automobile Accident Victims, so that you can begin learning more about your rights immediately.

Jason F. Abraham
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Helping car accident and personal injury victims throughout Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa since 1993.