Traffic Deaths Up in Illinois, America

Traffic deaths are up both in Illinois and the country as a whole. There were 844 fatalities resulting from 787 crashes across the state from Jan. 1 through today. That is 61 more than from Jan. 1, 2015, through Oct. 19, 2015, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

A recent report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows an estimated 17,775 were killed in traffic crashes in the first half of the year. Only 16,100 fatalities were reported in the first six months of 2015, according to the NHTSA’s study, putting the year-to-year increase at about 10.4 percent.

The second quarter of 2016 was the seventh straight quarter to show an increase in fatalities nationally, the NHTSA report shows.

Of the 787 fatal crashes recorded so far in Illinois, it was determined whether or not safety restraints were used properly in 442. In 171 of those crashes, no safety restraints were used or they were used improperly, according to IDOT. That is 39 percent of the crashes in which it was determined whether safety restraints were used.

In Illinois so far this year, 119 unlicensed drivers or drivers with suspended, revoked, expired, cancelled or denied licenses were involved in fatal crashes, IDOT reported.

With an eye toward ending fatalities on the nation's roads in the next 30 years, the NHTSA, the Federal Highway Administration and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration have teamed with the National Safety Council to launch the Road to Zero Coalition.

"Our vision is simple — zero fatalities on our roads," U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement.

"We know that setting the bar for safety to the highest possible standard requires commitment from everyone to think differently about safety — from drivers to industry, safety organizations and government at all levels," Foxx said.

The Road to Zero Coalition will initially stress seat belt use, installing rumble strips, truck safety, behavior change campaigns and data-driven enforcement, according to the NHTSA.

Photo via Todd Sherman