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You are welcome to cite and link to this page. When you do, please credit LawMachine with a link to this URL. Every figure below is drawn from official public datasets and reflects the 2023 reporting year. This is historical data: IDOT has since published newer annual reports, which may show different figures. Each card notes its source and page.
Illinois 2023 at a glance
1,240
People killed on Illinois roads in 2023
Source: IDOT 2023 Illinois Crash Facts & Statistics, p. 8
299,133
Total reported motor-vehicle crashes statewide in 2023
Source: IDOT 2023 Illinois Crash Facts & Statistics, p. 8
87,573
People injured in Illinois crashes in 2023
Source: IDOT 2023 Illinois Crash Facts & Statistics, p. 8
160,036
Reported crashes in Cook County in 2023
Source: IDOT 2023 Illinois Crash Facts & Statistics, crashes by county, p. 20
According to IDOT's Highway Safety Clock (2023 report, p. 8), that works out to approximately 820 reported crashes per day, more than 3 people killed per day (about 3.4), and more than 9 people injured per hour in Illinois in 2023. There were 1,142 fatal crashes statewide that year (p. 7).
What was driving fatal crashes in Illinois (2023)
Speed — 44.9% of fatal crashes
Crashes involving speed accounted for 31.1% of all crashes and 44.9% of fatal crashes in Illinois in 2023 (IDOT 2023 report, p. 7).
Pedestrians — 195 killed
Crashes involving pedestrians were 1.5% of all crashes but 17.3% of fatal crashes; 195 pedestrians were killed in 2023 (IDOT 2023 report, pp. 7 and 23).
Cyclists — 41 killed
Crashes involving pedalcyclists were under 1% of all crashes but 3.6% of fatal crashes; 41 pedalcyclists were killed in 2023 (IDOT 2023 report, pp. 7 and 23).
Alcohol — 22.3% of fatal crashes
Of the 1,142 fatal crashes in Illinois in 2023, 22.3% involved alcohol (IDOT 2023 report, p. 36).
Crashes inside the City of Chicago
IDOT's statewide report groups local figures by county, so the Cook County number above includes Chicago and its suburbs. For crashes within city limits, the City of Chicago publishes the Traffic Crashes dataset, built from Chicago Police Department crash reports. It uses different reporting rules than IDOT, so its totals won't match IDOT's.
The city's Vision Zero Chicago program publishes its own analysis of the streets and intersections with the most serious crashes.
Key context for these numbers
- Illinois traffic deaths rose from 1,010 in 2019 to 1,195 in 2020 and 1,341 in 2021; there were 1,240 in 2023, still above the 2019 level (IDOT 2023 report, p. 24).
- Pedestrians and pedalcyclists accounted for 236 deaths in 2023 (195 pedestrians and 41 pedalcyclists), even though crashes involving them were a small share of all crashes (IDOT 2023 report, pp. 7 and 23).
- These figures count crashes reported to police. Collisions that were never reported aren't included.
Sources
- Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT): 2023 Illinois Crash Facts & Statistics (PDF). Statewide totals and Highway Safety Clock (p. 8), crash overview (p. 7), crashes by county (p. 20), people killed and injured (p. 23), fatality trend (p. 24), alcohol-related fatal crashes (p. 36).
- City of Chicago Data Portal: Traffic Crashes, Crashes. Crash records within Chicago city limits.
- Chicago Department of Transportation: Vision Zero Chicago.
All statewide and county figures come from the 2023 reporting year. That is historical data; see IDOT for newer annual reports.
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