Fatal crashes in Illinois
In 2024, 1,177 people died in 1,085 fatal crashes on Illinois roads, 5.2% fewer than in 2023. That is about 3 deaths a day, and 3% of all road deaths in the United States.
Illinois ranks 8th of 51 by road deaths in 2024.
Road deaths in Illinois since 1975
Deaths within 30 days of a crash on a public road, as NHTSA counts them. 2024 is the latest year NHTSA has published; the 2024 figures are from the Annual Report File and may be revised when NHTSA releases the final file. The 2025 file is expected in spring 2027.
The deadliest roads in Illinois
I-55 had the most fatal crashes of any numbered road in Illinois from 2015 to 2024: 251, with 285 deaths. Interstate, US and state routes ranked by fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024; ramps and frontage roads are left out (97 crashes). Roads with 15 or more fatal crashes in 2022 to 2024 have their own page.
| Road | Fatal crashes | Deaths | 2022 to 2024 | Counties with the most | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I-55 | 251 | 285 | 83 | Will, Cook, Mclean |
| 2 | I-57 | 216 | 257 | 64 | Cook, Champaign, Jefferson |
| 3 | I-94 | 154 | 164 | 54 | Cook, Lake |
| 4 | US 45 | 130 | 148 | 49 | Kankakee, Champaign, Saline |
| 5 | I-80 | 127 | 149 | 28 | Will, Cook, Grundy |
| 6 | State Highway 83 | 119 | 128 | 39 | Cook, Dupage, Lake |
| 7 | State Highway 1 | 111 | 129 | 42 | Cook, Kankakee, Will |
| 8 | State Highway 50 | 106 | 112 | 42 | Cook, Kankakee, Will |
| 9 | US 20 | 105 | 118 | 32 | Winnebago, Cook, Jo Daviess |
| 10 | US 30 | 101 | 114 | 40 | Cook, Will, Whiteside |
| 11 | I-90 | 101 | 112 | 45 | Cook, Kane, Boone |
| 12 | US 41 | 96 | 104 | 36 | Cook, Lake |
| 13 | US 12 | 90 | 100 | 28 | Cook, Lake, Mchenry |
| 14 | State Highway 3 | 90 | 99 | 35 | St. Clair, Madison, Monroe |
| 15 | I-74 | 86 | 95 | 29 | Vermilion, Peoria, Mclean |
| 16 | I-290 | 82 | 98 | 20 | Cook, Dupage |
| 17 | US 6 | 75 | 80 | 22 | Cook, Will, Lasalle |
| 18 | State Highway 43 | 71 | 80 | 23 | Cook, Lake |
| 19 | State Highway 64 | 71 | 75 | 25 | Cook, Dupage, Kane |
| 20 | I-70 | 70 | 78 | 23 | Effingham, Fayette, Madison |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
The deadliest counties in Illinois
Cook County had the most fatal crashes in Illinois from 2015 to 2024: 3,087, with 3,325 deaths. 102 counties in Illinois recorded a fatal crash in those years; the 20 with the most are listed.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cook | 333 | 3,087 | 3,325 |
| 2 | Will | 54 | 508 | 563 |
| 3 | Lake | 48 | 439 | 472 |
| 4 | Dupage | 54 | 399 | 424 |
| 5 | St. Clair | 40 | 346 | 371 |
| 6 | Madison | 37 | 319 | 344 |
| 7 | Kane | 29 | 318 | 344 |
| 8 | Winnebago | 26 | 289 | 308 |
| 9 | Sangamon | 20 | 203 | 212 |
| 10 | Mchenry | 24 | 196 | 228 |
| 11 | Lasalle | 27 | 171 | 186 |
| 12 | Peoria | 16 | 166 | 180 |
| 13 | Kankakee | 19 | 156 | 166 |
| 14 | Champaign | 10 | 151 | 163 |
| 15 | Mclean | 11 | 139 | 144 |
| 16 | Macon | 13 | 128 | 136 |
| 17 | Tazewell | 16 | 106 | 116 |
| 18 | Vermilion | 8 | 105 | 115 |
| 19 | Dekalb | 8 | 101 | 109 |
| 20 | Williamson | 10 | 95 | 106 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
When fatal crashes happen in Illinois
The heaviest slot is Sunday, midnight to 4 am, with 449 fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024. The worst hour is 6 pm to 7 pm; the worst month is July.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 4.3 percent, 449 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 217 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 159 fatal crashes | 2.5 percent, 261 fatal crashes | 3.5 percent, 361 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 314 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 1.9 percent, 197 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 187 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 187 fatal crashes | 2.7 percent, 277 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 312 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 229 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 1.2 percent, 124 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 156 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 154 fatal crashes | 2.3 percent, 237 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 274 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 232 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 1.3 percent, 133 fatal crashes | 1.6 percent, 167 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 199 fatal crashes | 2.3 percent, 244 fatal crashes | 2.7 percent, 280 fatal crashes | 2.4 percent, 250 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 1.2 percent, 126 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 174 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 193 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 272 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 311 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 294 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 1.8 percent, 190 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 178 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 193 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 310 fatal crashes | 3.1 percent, 325 fatal crashes | 3.6 percent, 374 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 3.8 percent, 400 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 223 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 206 fatal crashes | 2.5 percent, 263 fatal crashes | 3.3 percent, 345 fatal crashes | 4.3 percent, 447 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan6.8%
- Feb5.9%
- Mar6.9%
- Apr7.5%
- May9.1%
- Jun9.4%
- Jul9.8%
- Aug9.7%
- Sep9.6%
- Oct9.6%
- Nov8.3%
- Dec7.5%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where fatal crashes happen in Illinois: rural or urban, intersection, dark or daylight
Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across the United States.
| Illinois | US | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural roads | 34% | 43% | below the US share |
| At or near an intersection | 30% | 25% | above the US share |
| In daylight | 47% | 46% | about the same as the US share |
| In the dark, road lit | 23% | 21% | above the US share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 25% | 28% | below the US share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Who died on Illinois roads in 2024
| Road user | Deaths | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants | 767 | 65% |
| Pedestrians | 213 | 18% |
| Motorcyclists | 150 | 13% |
| Cyclists | 37 | 3.1% |
| Others (on personal conveyances, in parked vehicles, in buildings) | 10 | 0.8% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
How fatal crashes happen in Illinois: alcohol, speeding, seat belts, hit-and-run
Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024 with the factor recorded, against the US share. "A drinking driver" is NHTSA's drinking-driver flag (police-reported drinking or any positive alcohol test), not its "alcohol-impaired" figure. "Unbelted" is the share of passenger-vehicle occupants killed whose belt use is known (5,853 in Illinois).
| Illinois | US | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| A drinking driver | 27% | 26% | about the same as the US share |
| Speeding | 37% | 27% | above the US share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 46% | 49% | below the US share |
| Hit-and-run | 8.4% | 6.5% | above the US share |
| A motorcycle involved | 14% | 16% | below the US share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
What the first harmful event was
What each fatal crash first hit, 2015 to 2024.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 4,368 | 42% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 2,882 | 28% |
| Pedestrian | 1,653 | 16% |
| Rollover | 620 | 5.9% |
| Other | 484 | 4.6% |
| Cyclist | 283 | 2.7% |
| Parked vehicle | 180 | 1.7% |
| Not reported | 2 | 0.0% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Vehicles in fatal crashes in Illinois
Every vehicle in a fatal crash from 2015 to 2024, by body type (15,808 vehicles).
| Type | Vehicles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cars | 6,690 | 42% |
| SUVs | 3,277 | 21% |
| Pickups | 1,804 | 11% |
| Motorcycles | 1,544 | 9.8% |
| Truck-tractors | 1,137 | 7.2% |
| Vans | 794 | 5.0% |
| Other trucks | 495 | 3.1% |
| Buses | 67 | 0.4% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Road pages for Illinois
Every numbered road in Illinois with 15 or more fatal crashes from 2022 to 2024, each with its crashes by year, county, hour and weekday.
- I-290
- I-294
- I-55
- I-57
- I-70
- I-74
- I-80
- I-88
- I-90
- I-94
- State Highway 1
- State Highway 13
- State Highway 15
- State Highway 171
- State Highway 23
- State Highway 29
- State Highway 3
- State Highway 37
- State Highway 43
- State Highway 47
- State Highway 50
- State Highway 53
- State Highway 64
- State Highway 83
- US 12
- US 14
- US 150
- US 20
- US 24
- US 30
- US 34
- US 41
- US 45
- US 50
- US 51
- US 6
Where the Illinois numbers come from
Every figure on this page is counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, the federal census of fatal crashes on US public roads, 2024 Annual Report File. A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. Road names are normalised ("I35 FRONTAGE" and "I-35" are the same road; frontage roads and ramps are left out of road counts). Fields NHTSA coded as unknown show as "Not reported"; a share is only given over 20 crashes, otherwise "Not enough data". The full method.