Quick answer
According to crimebycity.com's analysis of NHTSA data, Illinois recorded 6,213 traffic deaths in 5,671 fatal crashes over the most recent five-year period — 9.9 per 100,000 residents per year, ranking #37 of 50 states (most dangerous first); the US average is 12.3.
Traffic Deaths (5-Yr Total)
6,213
5,671 fatal crashes
Deaths per 100K per Year
9.9
-20% vs avg
national: 12.3
State Rank
#37/50
most dangerous first
Illinois Traffic Deaths by Year
The Most Dangerous Illinois Cities to Drive In
All 147 ranked Illinois cities by Road Danger Score (5-year traffic deaths per 100,000 residents, most dangerous first).
| # | City | Danger Score | Deaths (5-Yr) | Deaths per 100K/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harvey | 100/100 | 53 | 55.4 |
| 2 | Cahokia | 97/100 | 17 | 24.7 |
| 3 | Riverdale | 96/100 | 11 | 22.0 |
| 4 | Markham | 95/100 | 13 | 21.2 |
| 5 | East St. Louis | 94/100 | 26 | 19.8 |
| 6 | Alton | 92/100 | 23 | 18.5 |
| 7 | Northlake | 92/100 | 11 | 18.2 |
| 8 | Hazel Crest | 91/100 | 11 | 17.5 |
| 9 | South Holland | 85/100 | 15 | 14.9 |
| 10 | Wauconda | 84/100 | 10 | 14.4 |
| 11 | Marion | 83/100 | 12 | 14.2 |
| 12 | Chicago Heights | 82/100 | 18 | 14.0 |
| 13 | Sauk Village | 81/100 | 7 | 13.6 |
| 14 | Lyons | 81/100 | 7 | 13.6 |
| 15 | Streator | 80/100 | 8 | 13.1 |
| 16 | Decatur | 79/100 | 44 | 13.0 |
| 17 | Mount Vernon | 78/100 | 9 | 12.7 |
| 18 | Lemont | 78/100 | 11 | 12.6 |
| 19 | Fairview Heights | 77/100 | 10 | 12.5 |
| 20 | Rockford | 77/100 | 91 | 12.5 |
| 21 | Carbondale | 76/100 | 13 | 12.1 |
| 22 | Bensenville | 76/100 | 11 | 12.1 |
| 23 | Homewood | 75/100 | 11 | 12.0 |
| 24 | Collinsville | 74/100 | 14 | 11.9 |
| 25 | Taylorville | 74/100 | 6 | 11.8 |
| 26 | Ottawa | 74/100 | 11 | 11.8 |
| 27 | Springfield | 72/100 | 64 | 11.4 |
| 28 | Bridgeview | 71/100 | 9 | 11.2 |
| 29 | River Forest | 68/100 | 6 | 10.8 |
| 30 | Park Forest | 68/100 | 11 | 10.7 |
| 31 | Gurnee | 67/100 | 16 | 10.7 |
| 32 | Lockport | 67/100 | 14 | 10.5 |
| 33 | Granite City | 67/100 | 14 | 10.5 |
| 34 | Midlothian | 67/100 | 7 | 10.4 |
| 35 | Lansing | 66/100 | 14 | 10.3 |
| 36 | Country Club Hills | 66/100 | 8 | 10.1 |
| 37 | Danville | 65/100 | 14 | 10.0 |
| 38 | Herrin | 64/100 | 6 | 9.9 |
| 39 | Winfield | 64/100 | 5 | 9.9 |
| 40 | Wood River | 64/100 | 5 | 9.8 |
| 41 | East Moline | 63/100 | 10 | 9.7 |
| 42 | West Chicago | 62/100 | 12 | 9.6 |
| 43 | Lisle | 62/100 | 11 | 9.5 |
| 44 | Quincy | 62/100 | 19 | 9.5 |
| 45 | Lincolnwood | 61/100 | 6 | 9.5 |
| 46 | Belleville | 61/100 | 19 | 9.4 |
| 47 | Columbia | 61/100 | 5 | 9.4 |
| 48 | Waukegan | 60/100 | 41 | 9.4 |
| 49 | Yorkville | 60/100 | 12 | 9.3 |
| 50 | Peoria | 60/100 | 51 | 9.3 |
| 51 | Zion | 59/100 | 11 | 9.1 |
| 52 | Burr Ridge | 59/100 | 5 | 9.1 |
| 53 | Elk Grove Village | 58/100 | 14 | 9.1 |
| 54 | Hickory Hills | 56/100 | 6 | 8.8 |
| 55 | Belvidere | 56/100 | 11 | 8.7 |
| 56 | Maywood | 56/100 | 10 | 8.7 |
| 57 | North Chicago | 55/100 | 13 | 8.6 |
| 58 | Oak Forest | 55/100 | 11 | 8.5 |
| 59 | Centralia | 55/100 | 5 | 8.5 |
| 60 | Blue Island | 55/100 | 9 | 8.5 |
| 61 | Sterling | 53/100 | 6 | 8.3 |
| 62 | Effingham | 52/100 | 5 | 8.2 |
| 63 | Shiloh | 51/100 | 6 | 8.0 |
| 64 | Moline | 49/100 | 16 | 7.7 |
| 65 | Batavia | 48/100 | 10 | 7.6 |
| 66 | Geneva | 48/100 | 8 | 7.6 |
| 67 | Wheeling | 48/100 | 14 | 7.5 |
| 68 | Darien | 47/100 | 8 | 7.4 |
| 69 | Joliet | 46/100 | 55 | 7.3 |
| 70 | Chicago | 45/100 | 949 | 7.2 |
| 71 | Crest Hill | 44/100 | 7 | 7.0 |
| 72 | Swansea | 43/100 | 5 | 6.9 |
| 73 | St. Charles | 42/100 | 11 | 6.8 |
| 74 | Antioch | 42/100 | 5 | 6.7 |
| 75 | Dixon | 42/100 | 5 | 6.6 |
| 76 | Round Lake | 41/100 | 6 | 6.5 |
| 77 | Pekin | 40/100 | 10 | 6.4 |
| 78 | East Peoria | 40/100 | 7 | 6.4 |
| 79 | Washington | 39/100 | 5 | 6.3 |
| 80 | Des Plaines | 39/100 | 18 | 6.3 |
| 81 | Addison | 39/100 | 11 | 6.3 |
| 82 | Cicero | 39/100 | 25 | 6.3 |
| 83 | Woodstock | 38/100 | 8 | 6.2 |
| 84 | Niles | 38/100 | 9 | 6.2 |
| 85 | Mattoon | 37/100 | 5 | 6.1 |
| 86 | Aurora | 36/100 | 51 | 6.0 |
| 87 | Libertyville | 36/100 | 6 | 5.9 |
| 88 | Charleston | 36/100 | 5 | 5.9 |
| 89 | Jacksonville | 35/100 | 5 | 5.8 |
| 90 | Urbana | 34/100 | 11 | 5.8 |
| 91 | Grayslake | 34/100 | 7 | 5.8 |
| 92 | O'fallon | 33/100 | 9 | 5.7 |
| 93 | Mchenry | 32/100 | 8 | 5.6 |
| 94 | Calumet City | 32/100 | 10 | 5.6 |
| 95 | Bartlett | 32/100 | 11 | 5.5 |
| 96 | Galesburg | 32/100 | 8 | 5.5 |
| 97 | Oak Lawn | 31/100 | 15 | 5.5 |
| 98 | Kankakee | 30/100 | 7 | 5.4 |
| 99 | Sycamore | 30/100 | 5 | 5.3 |
| 100 | Rolling Meadows | 28/100 | 6 | 5.2 |
| 101 | Bloomington | 28/100 | 20 | 5.2 |
| 102 | Glenview | 28/100 | 12 | 5.2 |
| 103 | Lake Zurich | 27/100 | 5 | 5.1 |
| 104 | Mokena | 27/100 | 5 | 5.1 |
| 105 | Lombard | 27/100 | 11 | 5.0 |
| 106 | Westmont | 26/100 | 6 | 5.0 |
| 107 | Burbank | 26/100 | 7 | 5.0 |
| 108 | Mount Prospect | 25/100 | 13 | 4.9 |
| 109 | Berwyn | 25/100 | 13 | 4.9 |
| 110 | Hoffman Estates | 25/100 | 12 | 4.9 |
| 111 | Frankfort | 24/100 | 5 | 4.7 |
| 112 | Round Lake Beach | 22/100 | 6 | 4.5 |
| 113 | Edwardsville | 22/100 | 6 | 4.5 |
| 114 | Skokie | 21/100 | 14 | 4.4 |
| 115 | Schaumburg | 21/100 | 16 | 4.3 |
| 116 | Oswego | 20/100 | 8 | 4.2 |
| 117 | Morton Grove | 20/100 | 5 | 4.2 |
| 118 | Downers Grove | 19/100 | 10 | 4.0 |
| 119 | Champaign | 19/100 | 18 | 4.0 |
| 120 | Dekalb | 18/100 | 8 | 4.0 |
| 121 | Park Ridge | 17/100 | 7 | 3.7 |
| 122 | Carol Stream | 16/100 | 7 | 3.6 |
| 123 | Arlington Heights | 15/100 | 13 | 3.5 |
| 124 | Lake In The Hills | 15/100 | 5 | 3.5 |
| 125 | Normal | 15/100 | 9 | 3.4 |
| 126 | Romeoville | 14/100 | 7 | 3.4 |
| 127 | Rock Island | 14/100 | 6 | 3.3 |
| 128 | Plainfield | 14/100 | 8 | 3.3 |
| 129 | Mundelein | 13/100 | 5 | 3.1 |
| 130 | Elmhurst | 13/100 | 7 | 3.1 |
| 131 | Elgin | 12/100 | 17 | 3.0 |
| 132 | Naperville | 11/100 | 22 | 2.9 |
| 133 | Buffalo Grove | 10/100 | 6 | 2.8 |
| 134 | Bolingbrook | 10/100 | 10 | 2.7 |
| 135 | Crystal Lake | 9/100 | 5 | 2.4 |
| 136 | Woodridge | 8/100 | 4 | 2.4 |
| 137 | Wheaton | 8/100 | 6 | 2.3 |
| 138 | Palatine | 8/100 | 7 | 2.2 |
| 139 | Glen Ellyn | 7/100 | 3 | 2.1 |
| 140 | Vernon Hills | 5/100 | 2 | 1.5 |
| 141 | New Lenox | 4/100 | 2 | 1.4 |
| 142 | Huntley | 4/100 | 2 | 1.4 |
| 143 | Streamwood | 3/100 | 2 | 1.1 |
| 144 | Evanston | 3/100 | 3 | 0.8 |
| 145 | Wilmette | 2/100 | 1 | 0.7 |
| 146 | Algonquin | 2/100 | 1 | 0.7 |
| 147 | Carpentersville | 2/100 | 1 | 0.5 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many car accidents happen in Illinois?
NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System recorded 5,671 fatal car accidents in Illinois over the most recent five-year period, killing 6,213 people — an average of 1,243 traffic deaths per year.
How dangerous are Illinois roads compared to other states?
Illinois averages 9.9 traffic deaths per 100,000 residents per year, ranking #37 of 50 states (most dangerous first). The US average is 12.3 per 100,000.
What causes fatal car accidents in Illinois?
Of Illinois's fatal crashes over the most recent five-year period, 24% involved a drinking driver, 34% involved speeding, and 50% happened in dark conditions.
Which Illinois city is the most dangerous to drive in?
Among ranked Illinois cities, Harvey has the highest Road Danger Score (100/100) at 55.4 traffic deaths per 100,000 residents per year.