Chicago Car Accident Statistics

Chicago, IL, residents have over 1.1 million registered cars. When these cars hit the streets in 2022, they were involved in nearly 100,000 accidents. These crashes injured or killed over 22,000 people.

The injuries you suffer in a car accident can disable you and threaten your long-term health. They can traumatize you mentally and cost you thousands of dollars in medical expenses and lost wages.

Contact a Chicago car accident lawyer at Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free initial consultation today at (312) 929 2884.

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How Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You Recover Compensation After a Car Accident

The team at Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers has over a decade of experience representing accident victims against the negligent drivers who injured them. Our Chicago car accident attorneys are dedicated to helping clients injured in car accidents recover the most favorable outcomes possible.

When you hire Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers, the firm will provide:

A car accident lawyer with extensive courtroom experience to advocate for your injury compensation
Technologically sophisticated staff to manage your case and provide prompt and efficient communication
Access to our network of doctors and expert witnesses for treatment and evidence to support your claim

A car accident can disable you from earning a living or taking care of yourself. To learn about the compensation you can seek for your accident injuries in Chicago, Illinois, contact Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a consultation.

How Common Are Car Accidents in Chicago, IL?

Chicago provides car crash data using a Traffic Crash Dashboard. This dashboard uses crash reports from both driver self-reports and Chicago Police Department accident reports. It does not include information from the Illinois State Police. As a result, the dashboard does not include crashes on interstate highways and highway ramps.

Even without these crashes, Chicago had 99,791 auto accidents on its city streets and state highways in 2022. Over 16,000 Chicago traffic accidents caused at least one fatal or non-fatal injury.

Based on Chicago’s population of 2.7 million, it has a relatively high number of crashes compared to other large cities. For example, Houston has 2.3 million people but only had approximately 66,000 car accidents in 2021.

Chicago, Illinois Car Accident Statistics Summary

Despite its reputation for wet, cold, and windy weather, most of Chicago’s car accidents happen in good driving conditions. According to the Traffic Crash Dashboard, over 64% happen during daylight hours, and over 79% happen in clear weather. And only 17% of Chicago’s crashes happened on snowy, slushy, or wet roads.

Rather than resulting from weather, light, or road conditions, most Chicago crashes happen because of careless driving.

Injuries and Deaths from Chicago Car Accidents

Over 86% of Chicago’s car accidents only cause property damage. But because of the high number of accidents, over 22,080 motorists, motorcyclists, pedestrians, and cyclists were injured or killed in 2022 traffic crashes.

According to the Traffic Crash Dashboard for 2022, 153 people suffered fatal injuries. Another 2,287 suffered incapacitating non-fatal injuries. These injuries were severe enough that the victim was unable to travel to a hospital on their own, so the police called for an ambulance. Incapacitating injuries include:

Brain injuries that render the victim unconscious
Major bone fractures
Severe cuts
Paralysis

Nearly 13,000 people suffered non-incapacitating injuries. These injuries were visible but allowed the accident victims to transport themselves from the accident scene. Examples of non-incapacitating injuries include:

Minor cuts, scrapes, and bruises
Minor broken bones

Over 6,900 people complained of an injury but had no visible wound. This does not mean that they were uninjured. Some serious injuries can produce no outward wound, such as:

Concussion
Organ damage
Soft tissue injuries like torn ligaments or muscles

In 2022, accident victims injured or killed included 1,722 cyclists and 2,711 pedestrians.

Causes of Chicago Car Crashes

About 52% of crashes on the Traffic Crash Dashboard for 2022 happened at an intersection. The most common cause of intersection accidents was a failure to yield the right of way. This occurs when a driver goes out of turn at an intersection.

For example, when a driver turns left in front of an oncoming car with a green light, the turning driver fails to yield the right of way.

Other causes of intersection crashes include:

Running traffic lights or stop signs
Turning left before an intersection clears
Turning right into a bicyclist or pedestrian in the crosswalk

The remaining 48% of crashes happened on roads between intersections. According to the Traffic Crash Dashboard, following too closely was the most common cause of these crashes.

Other causes of road crashes included:

Speeding
Jaywalking
Distracted driving
Changing lanes unsafely
Traveling too fast for conditions
Failing to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk

Intersection accidents are usually more dangerous than roadway accidents. Angle and side-impact collisions can produce serious injuries because they usually involve greater crash energy.

By contrast, road crashes usually involve rear-end crashes and sideswipe collisions. These crashes can produce serious injuries but are less likely to cause fatalities.

Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Chicago Car Crash Lawyer

Chicago has a lot of car accidents, and these crashes can cause expensive and disabling injuries. To discuss the compensation you can seek for your car accident injuries, contact Attorneys of Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers for a consultation. Our trusted Chicago car accident attorneys are here to help.

Our legal team handles all types of car accidents, including: