44,297 CRASHES IN
CHICAGO, IL
2016

Of the 3,613 people injured and 14 killed in crashes, motorists comprised the largest group, with 12 motorists killed and 3,088 injured. Vulnerable road users also sustained significant harm, with one pedestrian and one cyclist killed. Additionally, 347 pedestrians and 178 cyclists were reported injured in traffic incidents during the year.

Crash patterns in 2016 show a clear concentration during weekday afternoon commutes. Fridays were the most frequent day for crashes with 7,394 incidents, and the single hour with the most events was 3 p.m., which saw 3,747 crashes. Crashes were most common during daylight hours (29,749), but a substantial number (7,824) also occurred on lighted roads after dark. Seasonally, crash counts were highest in the last three months of the year, with December recording the most incidents (5,052).

The vast majority of crashes in 2016 did not result in physical harm, with 93.8% (41,570) classified as 'No Injury'. Injury-related crashes accounted for a combined 6.0% of the total, including 277 serious injury crashes and 1,202 minor injury crashes. There were 14 fatal crash events recorded during the year, which resulted in a total of 14 fatalities.

Driver behavior was the primary cause cited in most crashes where a factor could be determined. 'Following too closely' was the leading contributing factor, attributed to 5,705 crashes (12.9% of the total). The second most common factor was 'Failing to yield right-of-way,' which was cited in 4,217 incidents (9.5%). Other significant factors included improper overtaking (2,422 crashes) and improper backing (2,356 crashes).

Most crashes occurred in ideal driving conditions. In 2016, 80% of crashes (35,422) happened in clear weather, and 75.7% (33,532) occurred on dry road surfaces. Daylight was the lighting condition for 67.2% of incidents (29,749). Crashes in adverse conditions were less frequent, with 3,572 incidents during rain and 1,359 during snow.

Analysis of the 96,022 persons involved in crashes shows the 26-34 age group was the most represented, accounting for 14,747 individuals, followed by the 35-44 age group with 12,213 individuals. Among vehicle makes involved in incidents, Chevrolet was the most frequent with 10,865 vehicles recorded. This was followed by Toyota with 10,478 vehicles and Ford with 8,658 vehicles.

The majority of crashes occurred in 30 mph zones, which accounted for 32,766 incidents, or approximately 74% of all crashes. These zones also saw the highest number of fatal crashes, with 9 of the 14 total. While the 30 mph zone had the most crashes, 0.027% of crashes within that zone were fatal. In contrast, 35 mph zones, which had 2,761 crashes, experienced a higher fatal crash rate of 0.109% for incidents occurring within that speed limit.

Crash distribution was concentrated in specific areas of the city, with Chicago Police District 08 recording the highest number of incidents at 4,124, representing 9.3% of the city's total. District 01 followed closely with 3,986 crashes. Together, these two districts accounted for over 18% of all crashes in 2016.

Rear-end collisions were the most prevalent type of crash, accounting for 12,884 incidents or 29.1% of the total. The second most common event involved striking a parked motor vehicle, which occurred 9,780 times (22.1%). Sideswipes in the same direction of travel were also common, with 8,336 reported incidents.

Analysis of the initial point of impact on the 89,146 vehicles involved shows that frontal impacts were the most common. The front of the vehicle was the point of impact in 17,831 cases (20.0%). This was followed by rear impacts, which were recorded for 14,680 vehicles (16.5%).

The most common action of vehicles prior to a crash was proceeding straight ahead, which was the case for 39,367 vehicles, or 44.2% of all vehicles involved. The second most frequent pre-crash action was being parked, accounting for 10,187 vehicles (11.4%). A significant number of vehicles were also reported as slowing or stopped in traffic (8,068) before the collision.

Among the 942 pedestrians involved in crashes where their action was known, the most common behavior was walking with traffic, reported in 189 cases. The second most frequent action was crossing at an intersection with the signal, which accounted for 159 incidents. Conversely, 48 pedestrians were reported as crossing against the signal when the crash occurred.