Illinois truck accident statistics (2020-2024)

Truck accident deaths in Illinois by year

Truck accident deaths numbered 173 in 2020, representing 14.5% of Illinois traffic deaths, and 179 in 2021, representing 13.4%. The count reached 223 in 2022, with a 17.6% share, before falling to 190 and 15.3% in 2023. In 2024, the figures were 148 and 12.6%. Deaths and their share of state traffic deaths were highest in 2022 and lowest in 2024.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The 2024 death count was 25 lower than in 2020. Illinois accounted for 3.3% of national large-truck deaths across the period. Its annual national shares were 3.5%, 3.1%, 3.7%, 3.5% and 2.8%, respectively, from 2020 through 2024. The 2024 figures remain subject to revision.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and can be revised when NHTSA publishes the final file.

Who died in Illinois truck accidents

People in the large truck accounted for 144 deaths, or 15.8%, while people in other vehicles accounted for 670 deaths, or 73.4%. The latter category had the largest share of Illinois truck accident deaths. The row "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" recorded 99 deaths, or 10.8%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

That quoted label represents the FARS nonoccupant grouping: pedestrians, pedalcyclists, and other or unknown nonoccupants. It is not a literal test of being outside a vehicle; the other category can include occupants of parked motor vehicles.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The trucks involved

Illinois fatal crashes involved 900 large trucks during 2020 through 2024. Truck-tractors accounted for 612 trucks, or 68.0%, and the single-unit and other large trucks category contained 288. These are vehicle counts: a truck accident can involve multiple large trucks, so the figures do not count crashes or people killed.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

Large trucks over 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating numbered 682, representing 75.8% of the large trucks recorded. The records also identified 28 large trucks as jackknifed and 10 large trucks carrying hazardous materials. Each measure describes trucks involved in fatal crashes, with weight rating, jackknifing and hazardous materials reported as separate characteristics.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

Counts are trucks, not crashes. One crash can involve more than one large truck.

Interstates and crash types

Interstate truck accident deaths numbered 315, accounting for 34.5% of Illinois large-truck crash deaths. Among the listed route rows, deaths in large-truck crashes were 64 on I-55, 52 on I-57, 39 on I-80, 26 on I-70 and 24 on I-94.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The separate all-deaths figures for those routes were 155, 141, 78, 43 and 121, respectively. Those totals are not limited to large-truck crashes. The listed routes are a route-coded subset, not the full road network. Work-zone involvement was recorded for 59 deaths in large-truck crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Counties with the most truck accident deaths

Among the listed counties, Cook County had the highest truck accident death count, 188, with an average annual rate of 0.7 per 100,000 residents. Will County recorded 49 deaths and a rate of 1.4; Lake County recorded 48 and 1.3; DuPage County recorded 31 and 0.7.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Effingham County had the highest rate among the listed counties, 9.9, with 17 deaths. Grundy County also recorded 17 deaths, with a rate of 6.4. These rows are a supplied subset of Illinois counties. Small death counts make rates sensitive to each death.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Up to 15 counties with the most deaths in the period, largest first. Rates for counties with few deaths change sharply with each death.

How Illinois compares with the national rate

The average annual Illinois truck accident death rate was 1.4 per 100,000 residents, compared with the national rate of 1.6. The underlying death counts were 913 for Illinois and 27,553 for the United States during 2020 through 2024.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Each rate divides deaths by summed annual Census population estimates for the period, then multiplies by 100,000. The Illinois population estimate of 12,703,033 for July 1, 2024 is displayed separately, not used alone as the denominator. These rates make no adjustment for mileage or visitors. Readers searching for a truck accident lawyer should distinguish these population-based rates from death counts.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Manner of collision and setting

Manner of collision describes the first harmful event: angle crashes accounted for 300 deaths. "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" recorded 210 deaths and means no collision with a motor vehicle in transport; transport can include vehicles stopped in traffic.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Daytime truck accident deaths numbered 585; nighttime deaths numbered 326. Urban deaths numbered 511, and rural deaths numbered 400. Separate crash-configuration counts were 162 deaths in single-vehicle crashes, 569 in two-vehicle crashes and 182 in crashes involving three or more vehicles. These classifications describe different aspects of crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Truck occupant deaths by crash configuration

Among people in the large truck who died in Illinois, 77 were in single-vehicle crashes and 67 were in crashes involving multiple vehicles during 2020 through 2024. This truck-occupant subset is distinct from the count of everyone killed in truck accidents, regardless of person category.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

About these figures

Illinois figures use NHTSA FARS, a census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes on trafficways customarily open to the public, requiring an occupant or nonoccupant death within 30 days. State and county assignments follow crash location, not the deceased person's residence. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded.^[9][6][7][8]

Records for 2020 through 2023 are Final Files; 2024 uses the revisable Annual Report File. Rates use summed annual Census Bureau Vintage 2025 population estimates, multiplied into a per 100,000 measure after dividing deaths by population. The separate July 1, 2024 estimate is not the denominator; mileage and visitors are unadjusted.^[9][6][7][8]

See also

• I-55 truck accidents in Illinois (2020-2024)
• I-57 truck accidents in Illinois (2020-2024)
• I-70 truck accidents in Illinois (2020-2024)
• I-80 truck accidents in Illinois (2020-2024)

On related publications

• Illinois car accident statistics (2020-2024) (caraccidentlawyers.wiki)
• Truck accident statistics for Cook County, Illinois (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)
• Truck accident statistics for Will County, Illinois (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)
• Truck accident statistics for Lake County, Illinois (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)
• Truck accident statistics for DuPage County, Illinois (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)
• Truck accident statistics for Madison County, Illinois (2020-2024) (truckaccidentlawyer.wiki)