Car accidents impact the lives of Illinois residents on a daily basis. The state’s Department of Transportation regularly collects data on these collisions, injuries and fatalities, and here is some of the data from 2021.
Main causes of fatal car accidents
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs account for around 27% of all fatal car accidents in the state. Intoxicated drivers made up the majority of the victims of these crashes, but their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels were mixed: while many were above the legal limit of .08%, some had a BAC of as low as .01%.
Seatbelt use was a factor in more than 260 deaths from car accidents. The Illinois DOT determined that victims either improperly wore their seatbelts or failed to wear them at all.
The age ranges of drivers most affected
Out of all age groups registered to drive, it was found that those between the ages of 25 and 29 and those 75 and older were most likely to die in car accidents in Illinois. In the younger age group, 166 fatal crashes occurred while those in the oldest group saw 108 deaths from crashes.
Other car accident statistics
Most car accidents in Illinois occurred in urban areas and resulted in moderate injuries, but 624 people were tragically killed. Freeways saw the fewest number of collisions at nearly 1,580 with eight fatalities.
Most of the accidents took place between 4 and 8 PM. Females were most affected by injuries in car crashes statewide.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, most of these accidents occurred as a result of speeding or driver error. It also reported that around 11% of these incidents happened due to overcompensation after the driver lost control of their vehicle.