The Deadliest Highway Stretches in Illinois
There were 1,268 fatal car wrecks in Illinois in 2022, more than in nearby states like Missouri, Indiana, and Kentucky. Countless other crashes resulted in injuries and extensive property damage.
While severe car accidents can happen anywhere, not every corner of the state is as prone to a collision as others.
Highways present several risk factors, making them more likely locations for accidents than other areas. Higher speeds, heavier traffic volumes, and the ubiquitous presence of commercial vehicles are circumstances that, alone or combined, make highways dangerous for motorists.
Top 4 Most Dangerous Highway Segments in Illinois
Illinois contains over 15,000 miles of state highways and interstates, but not every mile presents the same degree of risk. Differences in design, visibility, and traffic flow make some stretches of highway more hazardous than others. Sometimes, a specific part of a specific road is considered dangerous simply because motorists perceive it to be.
Car accidents in Chicago frequently occur on heavily trafficked highways and interstates, where congestion, high speeds, and complex road layouts heighten risks. These urban stretches contribute significantly to Illinois’ reputation for dangerous roads.
The following four stretches of highways and interstates in Illinois have a reputation for being particularly risky:
Route 24 Between Canton and Peoria
Route 24 is a major east-west thoroughfare that runs through the state from the Mississippi River to the Indiana state border. In a recent informal survey, drivers ranked this highway as the 19th most-feared highway in the U.S. and the most-feared highway in Illinois.
The survey didn’t identify specific highway segments as being more dangerous than others. However, the portion connecting Canton and Peoria illustrates why drivers are apprehensive about this road.
In some places, Route 24 is a four-lane divided highway, with two travel lanes for each direction separated by a center median or barrier. However, other portions consist of a single lane of traffic for each direction without any dividing barrier. Yet the speeds on these stretches remain elevated, increasing the likelihood of a severe or fatal crash.
In 2022, Fulton County and Peoria County experienced a combined total of 23 fatal traffic crashes.
Interstate 55 – Stevenson Expressway
Interstate 55 is a major highway connecting the St. Louis area to Chicago, although its southernmost terminal is near the Gulf of Mexico. Because of this, the highway carries a significant amount of commercial traffic daily. Large commercial trucks are disproportionately involved in fatal crashes, so it should be no surprise that I-55 is a perilous corridor.
The highway runs for over 900 miles in Illinois alone and passes through 12 counties. In 2022, over 500 fatal traffic crashes occurred in these 12 counties, with the majority of them happening in Madison and Cook Counties.
Interstate 90 and Interstate 290 in Cook County
Chicago is one of the largest cities in the United States, with a population exceeding 2.5 million. With that many residents, accidents are bound to happen, especially on the city’s interstates. These roads are essential for connecting downtown Chicago with its suburbs and allowing residents and visitors to access the city for leisure, shopping, and work.
In 2022, nearly 400 fatal accidents occurred in Cook County alone, accounting for almost one-third of the state’s fatality crash total that year. When the eight other surrounding counties are factored in, the number of fatal wrecks climbs even higher.
This total doesn’t account for the countless accidents resulting in injuries, property damage, and minor fender-benders in and around the Windy City.
Interstate 24
Finally, Interstate 24 has been described as one of the nation’s top 20 most dangerous highways.
This road’s westernmost terminus is at I-57, near Marion, Illinois. From there, it travels southeast through Nashville and ends at I-75 near Chattanooga, Tennessee. It’s approximately 300 miles long and passes through three Illinois counties: Williamson, Johnson, and Massac.
Only about 30 miles of I-24 are located in Illinois, yet the three counties experienced a combined total of 15 fatal accidents in 2022. This number equates to approximately one fatal crash for every two miles of Interstate 24, though it’s unclear how many of those 15 crashes occurred on I-24 itself.
The Limitations of the Car Accident Statistics
It’s important to remember that no publicly available statistics show the total number of fatal or harmful crashes on Illinois highways and interstates. Even so, given the known dangers of these roadways, it’s fair to conclude that at least some of the fatal collisions reported above occurred on or near the indicated stretches.
Tips For Staying Safe on Illinois Roads
While it’s challenging to get around Illinois without using a highway or interstate, there are steps you can take to reduce the chance of being hurt in a crash:
- Obey the speed limit, right-of-way rules, and other traffic laws
- Don’t drive under the influence of alcohol, illegal drugs, or prescription medication
- Avoid using your phone while driving, or use hands-free, voice-activated technology
- Allow plenty of room between your vehicle and others on the road
- Keep your vehicle in good working condition, and replace your tires, brakes, and other key components as needed
It’s important to contact the appropriate law enforcement agency if you’re involved in a crash resulting in injury, death, or property damage exceeding $1,500. The property damage threshold is lowered to $500 if any driver involved in the crash is uninsured.
If you call 911 and officers don’t respond to the accident, you must still file a report. Contact the Illinois State Police within 10 days of the accident to do so.
Exercise Caution on Illinois’s Deadliest Highways
Several major interstates and highways run through Illinois, including I-55, I-24, I-90, and Route 24. Although the exact number of crashes that occur on these roads is unknown, the counties they pass through experienced hundreds of fatal accidents in 2022 alone. Drivers who use these roads should practice safe driving techniques due to the elevated risk of severe accidents.
Following the law, avoiding aggressive driving, and putting away distractions can all positively impact your safety. These simple steps can reduce your chances of being involved in a senseless accident on any of Illinois’s roads.