Illinois Traffic Deaths Rose Last Year

Traffic deaths across the United States rose by a 7.2 percent from 2014 to 2015, and the number was even higher for Illinois.

The state saw an 8 percent increase, with 998 in 2015, up from 924 in 2014, according to the data from the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Illinois saw 7.76 fatalities per 100,000 population, more than twice as many as the lowest state in the nation, Rhode Island, which saw 3.42 fatalities per 100,000 residents, and an increase from 2014's Illinois rate of 7.17. With 24.74 fatalities per 100,000, Wyoming is the deadliest state.

The national average in 2015 was 10.92, an increase from 2014's 10.27 fatalities per 100,000 population.

Illinois recorded 307 alcohol-impaired driving fatalities in 2015, five more than the previous year.

Nationally, 35,092 people died due to crashes. That's up from 32,744 in 2014. The last time fatalities jumped by that much percentage-wise was from 1965 to 1966.

The sharp increase in auto deaths ended a downward trend. Since 2005, the number of roadway deaths decreased every year with the exception of 2012, where there was a small increase.

5-Year Trend: Top 10 Illinois Counties of 2015, Fatalities

5-Year Trend: Top 10 Counties of 2015, Fatalities Year-to-Year Percent Change

Find detailed information about Illinois traffic fatalities and county-by-county figures on the NHTSA website

Even with the increase in fatalities, Illinois experienced one of the lowest fatality rates per capita in 2015, ranking eight in the United States.

2015 Traffic Fatalities Per 100,000 Population

• National - 10.92

1. Wyoming 24.74
2. Mississippi 22.62
3. Montana 21.69
4. South Carolina 19.95
5. Arkansas 17.83
6. Alabama 17.47
7. North Dakota 17.31
8. Kentucky 17.2
9. Oklahoma 16.44
10. Louisiana 15.54
11. South Dakota 15.49
12. West Virginia 14.54
13. Tennessee 14.51
14. Florida 14.5
15. New Mexico 14.29
16. Missouri 14.28
17. Georgia 14
18. North Carolina 13.73
19. Delaware 13.32
20. Arizona 13.08
21. Idaho 13.05
22. Nebraska 12.97
23. Texas 12.8
24. Indiana 12.4
25. Kansas 12.19
26. Nevada 11.24
27. Oregon 11.09
28. Iowa 10.24
29. Colorado 10.01
30. Maine 9.85
31. Wisconsin 9.81
32. Michigan 9.71
33. Ohio 9.56
34. Pennsylvania 9.37
35. Utah 9.21
36. Vermont 9.1
37. Virginia 8.98
38. Alaska 8.8
39. New Hampshire 8.57
40. Maryland 8.54
41. California 8.11
42. Washington 7.92
43. Illinois 7.76
44. Minnesota 7.49
45. Connecticut 7.41
46. Hawaii 6.57
47. New Jersey 6.27
48. New York 5.66
49. Massachusetts 4.5
50. Rhode Island 4.26

• Traffic deaths resulting from drivers who were under the influence of alcohol increased by 3.2 percent, from 9,943 to 10,265.
• Traffic deaths involving a distracted driver — someone texting, eating or otherwise not paying full attention to the road — increased by 8.8 percent, from 3,197 to 3,477.
• Fatal crashes increased across every type of vehicle except for drivers of large trucks.
• The number of miles people traveled in a vehicle increased by 3.5 percent, 3,026 billion to 3,131 billion, the largest percentage increase since 1992.
• The number of people injured in traffic accidents increased by 105,000 to more 2.4 million.

You can read the full 2015 traffic fatalities report here

Traffic injuries also rose, showing a “statistically significant increase” of 105,000, according to the Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s report.

While fatalities were up, so was the amount of driving done on American roads, with vehicle miles traveled increasing by 3.5 percent from 2014 to 2015. That was the largest jump in nearly 25 years.

Marc Torrence contributed to this story.

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