State Highway 1 in Illinois: fatal crashes
From 2015 to 2024, 111 fatal crashes on State Highway 1 in Illinois killed 129 people, the 7th most of 212 numbered roads in Illinois. In 2024 there were 13 fatal crashes and 17 deaths on the road.
A state highway running through 13 counties of Illinois. All fatal crashes in Illinois.
Deaths on State Highway 1 in Illinois by year
| Year | Fatal crashes | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 13 | 17 |
| 2023 | 13 | 15 |
| 2022 | 16 | 21 |
| 2021 | 15 | 17 |
| 2020 | 5 | 5 |
| 2019 | 7 | 8 |
| 2018 | 15 | 16 |
| 2017 | 12 | 14 |
| 2016 | 8 | 9 |
| 2015 | 7 | 7 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where on State Highway 1 in Illinois: the counties with the most fatal crashes
Cook County had the most fatal crashes on State Highway 1 from 2015 to 2024: 48, with 56 deaths. Cook, Kankakee and Will counties together held 63% of fatal crashes on State Highway 1 in Illinois from 2015 to 2024; the 9 listed held 92%. Counties are listed from 5 fatal crashes.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cook County | 4 | 48 | 56 |
| 2 | Kankakee County | 1 | 14 | 16 |
| 3 | Will County | 1 | 8 | 10 |
| 4 | Clark County | 0 | 6 | 7 |
| 5 | Wabash County | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| 6 | Vermilion County | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| 7 | White County | 2 | 5 | 6 |
| 8 | Edgar County | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| 9 | Iroquois County | 1 | 5 | 5 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
When fatal crashes happen on State Highway 1 in Illinois
107 fatal crashes on State Highway 1 in Illinois from 2015 to 2024 have a known time, too few for any one weekday and time of day to stand out. The worst hour is 7 pm to 8 pm; the worst month is September.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 2.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 0.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 4.7 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 4.7 percent, 5 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 2.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes | 3.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 3.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 3.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 6.5 percent, 7 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 4.7 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 4.7 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 5.6 percent, 6 fatal crashes | 0.9 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Thu | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 0.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 2.8 percent, 3 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.0 percent, 0 fatal crashes | 0.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 0.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 4.7 percent, 5 fatal crashes | 0.9 percent, 1 fatal crash |
| Sat | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 0.9 percent, 1 fatal crash | 3.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 2 fatal crashes | 3.7 percent, 4 fatal crashes | 6.5 percent, 7 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan9.0%
- Feb7.2%
- Mar4.5%
- Apr4.5%
- May9.0%
- Jun9.0%
- Jul10.8%
- Aug9.0%
- Sep12.6%
- Oct9.0%
- Nov8.1%
- Dec7.2%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
What fatal crashes on State Highway 1 in Illinois first hit
The first harmful event was a collision with another vehicle in most fatal crashes, 51%; a pedestrian in 19%, a fixed object such as a tree, pole or barrier in 19%, a rollover in 4.5%.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 56 | 51% |
| Pedestrian | 21 | 19% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 21 | 19% |
| Other | 6 | 5.4% |
| Rollover | 5 | 4.5% |
| Cyclist | 2 | 1.8% |
| Parked vehicle | 0 | 0.0% |
| Not reported | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
How fatal crashes on State Highway 1 in Illinois compare with the state
The largest difference from Illinois: from 2015 to 2024, 48% of fatal crashes on State Highway 1 in Illinois were on rural roads, against 34% across Illinois. Also above the Illinois share: hit-and-runs. Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across all of Illinois. A share is only given over 20 crashes; above or below means more than chance would give on 111 crashes.
| State Highway 1 | Illinois | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural stretches | 48% | 34% | above the Illinois share |
| At or near an intersection | 29% | 30% | about the same as the Illinois share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 27% | 25% | about the same as the Illinois share |
| A drinking driver | 27% | 27% | about the same as the Illinois share |
| Speeding | 35% | 37% | about the same as the Illinois share |
| A distracted driver (as recorded) | 6.3% | 9.8% | about the same as the Illinois share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 39% | 46% | about the same as the Illinois share |
| Hit-and-run | 14% | 8.4% | above the Illinois share |
| A motorcycle involved | 13% | 14% | about the same as the Illinois share |
| Pedestrians among the dead | 16% | 16% | about the same as the Illinois share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Questions about fatal crashes on State Highway 1 in Illinois
- How many fatal crashes have there been on State Highway 1 in Illinois?
- 111 fatal crashes killed 129 people on State Highway 1 in Illinois from 2015 to 2024. In 2024 there were 13 fatal crashes and 17 deaths. Source: NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS).
- Where on State Highway 1 in Illinois do the most fatal crashes happen?
- Cook County had the most fatal crashes on State Highway 1 from 2015 to 2024: 48, with 56 deaths. Kankakee County was second with 14.
Other roads in Illinois with a page
All fatal crashes in Illinois, with every road ranked.
Where the State Highway 1 numbers come from
Counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 2024 Annual Report File: every fatal crash whose road NHTSA filed as State Highway 1 in Illinois (filed under 32 spellings, such as "SR- 1", "SR-1", "SR-1 (CHICAGO RD)", "SR-1 (CR-2280)"). Ramps, frontage and service roads are left out. Where two routes share a road, NHTSA files each crash under one of them, so a shared stretch counts on one route only. A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. Totals in state and news reports for a road usually differ: they include ramps and frontage roads, or count from preliminary reports. The full method.