Truck accident statistics for Cook County, Illinois (2020-2024)

Truck accident deaths in Cook County by year

Truck accident deaths increased from 39 in 2020 to 40 in 2021, then to 43 in 2022 and 47 in 2023. The count fell to 19 in 2024. The highest yearly count was 47 in 2023, and the lowest was 19 in 2024. The 2024 count was 20 deaths lower than the 2020 count.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

The share of all traffic deaths attributed to truck accidents was 10.5% in 2020, 8.7% in 2021, 10.8% in 2022, 12.5% in 2023 and 5.2% in 2024. All traffic deaths numbered 371, 458, 399, 377 and 362 in those respective years. The truck accident death share was highest in 2023 and lowest in 2024.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Deaths within 30 days in crashes on public roads. 2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and can be revised.

Who died in Cook County truck accidents

People in the large truck accounted for 18 deaths, or 9.6%. People in other vehicles accounted for 117 deaths, or 62.2%, the largest person category. The row "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" recorded 53 deaths, or 28.2%.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

That quoted label identifies the FARS nonoccupant grouping, including 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. These truck accident death categories cover everyone killed in the qualifying crashes, rather than truck occupants alone.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The trucks involved

Fatal truck accidents involved 194 large trucks in Cook County during 2020 through 2024. Truck-tractors (semi or tractor-trailer units) numbered 121 and represented 62.4% of those large trucks. Single-unit and other large trucks numbered 73. The count of large trucks recorded as jackknifed was 1.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

Each entry in the trucks table counts vehicles. These figures are distinct from the 179 fatal crashes and 188 deaths recorded for the period. A crash can involve multiple large trucks, so the truck count does not represent a count of separate crashes or people killed.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

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

How the fatal truck crashes happened

Manner of collision describes the first harmful event. Deaths were: angle (side impact), 51 (27.1%); head-on, 11 (5.9%); rear-end, 40 (21.3%); sideswipe, 11 (5.9%); other, 2 (1.1%); and not reported, 1 (0.5%). "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" recorded 72 (38.3%). This means no collision with a motor vehicle in transport, including events involving pedestrians, cyclists, parked vehicles, fixed objects or rollovers. Vehicles stopped in traffic can be in transport.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Separately, truck accident deaths by crash configuration were single-vehicle, 56 (29.8%); two-vehicle, 88 (46.8%); and three or more vehicles, 44 (23.4%). These shares group deaths by vehicle count, a separate classification from manner of collision.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Interstates, time of day and setting

Interstate truck accident deaths numbered 65, or 34.6%. The listed route-coded counts were I-294, 19; I-94, 13; I-90, 9; and I-55, 7. Interstate identification requires ROUTE=1 and a parseable I-route number in TWAY_ID. These listed routes are a route-coded subset, not a full road network.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Daytime (6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m.) accounted for 89 deaths (47.3%); nighttime (6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) accounted for 99 (52.7%). Urban locations recorded 187 deaths (99.5%), rural locations 0 (0.0%), and unreported land use 1 (0.5%). Work-zone deaths numbered 17. These figures count deaths, rather than trucks or crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Truck accident death rate compared with Illinois and the United States

Cook County's truck accident death rate was 0.7 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. Illinois recorded 1.4 and the United States recorded 1.6. Cook County's rate was lower than both.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Among the listed neighboring counties, the rates were 1.4 for Will County, Illinois; 1.3 for Lake County, Illinois; 1.9 for Lake County, Indiana; and 3.7 for Porter County, Indiana. Cook County's rate was lower than each listed neighbor's rate. These population-based rates do not adjust for miles driven or visitors. For readers searching "truck accident lawyer," the relevant grouping reminder is that deaths are assigned to the county where the crash happened.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Rates divide deaths by the sum of annual Census population estimates, so they show deaths per 100,000 residents per year. They do not adjust for miles driven or for visitors.

About these figures

FARS is NHTSA's census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Inclusion requires a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public and an occupant or nonoccupant death within 30 days. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded. County counts follow crash location, not the deceased person's residence. The 2020 through 2023 figures use Final Files; 2024 uses the revisable Annual Report File.^[9][6][7][8]

Rates divide 2020 through 2024 deaths by summed annual Census Bureau population estimates from Vintage 2025 and multiply by 100,000. The separately shown July 1, 2024 estimate of 5,188,791 is not the denominator. Rates express average annual deaths per 100,000 residents without adjustment for miles driven or visitors.^[9][6][7][8]

See also

• Truck accident statistics for DuPage County, Illinois (2020-2024)
• Truck accident statistics for Kane County, Illinois (2020-2024)
• Truck accident statistics for Lake County, Illinois (2020-2024)

On related publications

• Car accident statistics for Cook County, Illinois (2020-2024) (caraccidentlawyers.wiki)