Illinois Auto Accident Statistics

Car accidents are a leading cause of death and injury in Chicago and throughout Illinois. In most cases, distraction, speeding, and/or alcohol have played a role in the accident. Other common causes of accidents include tailgating, improper lane changing, and driver fatigue.

Holidays and Auto Accidents

The number of traffic deaths in Illinois is especially alarming during the holidays when the number of accidents per day shows a dramatic spike. On Memorial Day weekend in 2007, there were 3,036 crashes. This includes 11 fatal crashes with 11 persons killed, an average of 3.4 fatalities per day over the course of the weekend. Two of the fatal crashes were alcohol-related.

The holiday car accident tragedies continued in 2007 with 1,260 crashes over the Fourth of July, 2,972 crashes over Labor Day, and 4,301 crashes occurred over the Thanksgiving day weekend, while 4,375 crashes were reported during Christmas and 4,775 on New Year's. All these holidays tragically resulted in 57 fatalities - 27 of these were alcohol-related.

Types of Car Accidents

Among all Illinois motor vehicle accident deaths, about 53 percent were due to roadway departures, 26 percent were intersection related, 13 percent fatalities in crashes involving large trucks, and 209 pedestrians and bicyclists fatalities. Of 1,453 motorists killed in motor-vehicle crashes, 50 percent were passenger car occupants and 23 percent were light truck passengers.

There are many types of car accidents in Illinois on any given day, including head on collisions, rear end collisions, side impact collisions, and roll over collisions. Although certain types of collisions are more likely to result in serious harm than others, each case is unique. Some auto accidents involve temporary injuries while others may result in serious injury or, unfortunately, even death. If you are a victim of an accident and deserve compensation for your injuries, you are not alone. Seek help right away.

Consult a Lawyer

If you or a loved one has been killed or injured in a car accident, you should contact an experienced attorney to find out whether you are eligible for compensation.