What area of Illinois is the most prone to truck wrecks?

In 2021, there were 180 people killed in Illinois truck wrecks, 48% more than ten years prior. Forty of these deaths took place in Cook County, the second-most-populous county in the United States and home to Chicago.

The data shows that Cook County is, by far, the most dangerous area in Illinois in terms of truck crashes. Here’s how it ranks among the other top counties:

1. Cook, 40 deaths
2. Lake, 8 deaths
3. Dupage, 7 deaths
4. Kendall, 7 deaths
5. Logan, 6 deaths

Chicago is a major metropolitan area — the third largest city in the U.S. — and is thus home to certain roadway dangers. I touched on some of these dangers in a previous blog post about St. Louis County, Missouri.

Looking at the Data Statewide

The Institute for Safer Trucking reported data over a 10-year period in order to assess fatal truck wrecks in each of the 50 states. Almost every state presented an increase in fatal crashes. Illinois was one of them.

In 2012, 122 people died in Illinois truck wrecks. In 2021, 180 people died, marking a 48% increase. Like many other states, Illinois was an example of the dangers of construction zones, with 43% of fatal work zone crashes involving a large truck.

Large trucks are more dangerous than other vehicles, especially in work zones, because of their size. They are wider, longer and heavier than four-wheel cars and cause more damage. Important habits become even more necessary in construction zones, as I discussed in a previous blog post. These include following reduced speed limits; driving well-rested, focused and sober; and tuning in to blind spots.

Why Are Cities More Dangerous to Drive In?

In addition to work zones, heavy-traffic areas can be chaotic to navigate. We often see car and truck drivers rear-end other vehicles when they don’t maintain proper following distances. The start-stop-start-stop rhythm of slow-moving traffic is less dangerous when drivers stay far from the vehicles ahead of them. In short, don’t tailgate.

It’s important to remember that large trucks have blind spots to the front, sides and rear and can’t always see the cars surrounding them. This makes lane changes more dangerous. Give yourself enough room to pass semis safely and use your turn signals for at least five seconds before changing lanes.

As always, don’t drive while distracted. It might seem harmless to look down at your phone to check navigation or read a text while driving, but the risk outweighs the benefit. Distracted driving kills thousands of people a year.

Personal Injury Attorneys Serving Illinois

When a commercial motor vehicle is at fault for a wreck, the victims need qualified personal injury attorneys to fight for just compensation. The lawyers at Craig, Kelley & Faultless are experienced and dedicated to our clients. We are licensed in Illinois, as well as Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Iowa and Missouri.

If you are the victim of a serious accident involving a semi, bus, truck tractor, or any other commercial motor vehicle, our lawyers are prepared to help you.

Contact us at 1-800-746-0226 or through our website.

 David W. Craig sits on the Board of Regents of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys (which requires the board certification in truck accident law). He is the managing partner and one of the founding partners of Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC. He is recognized as a Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyer and Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Indiana by the National Trial Lawyers, as well as a Top 50 Indiana lawyer by Super Lawyers. David is the author of Semitruck Wreck, A Guide for Victims and Their Families, written to help people navigate a terrible situation by answering questions that come after a tragic wreck. He also hosts the podcast After the Crash, where you can gain valuable information about the dangers involving semis and large trucks that do not follow Indiana law safety protocol regarding speed, weather conditions, maintenance upkeep, etc.