Illinois Fatal Bicycle Accident Statistics
There was a total of 26 bicycle fatalities involving motor vehicles in Illinois for 2015. This number is down slightly from previous years with 27 in 2014, 30 in 2013 and 29 in 2012. The low point was in 2007 when there were 18. This information comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The total for 2015 represents 3 percent of the total traffic fatalities for the year.
Nationwide, there were 817 bicycle deaths for 2015. This is a 13 percent increase from 2014 and also the highest total since 1995. However, the number is down from 1975 with a 19 percent decrease. For the year 2015, 88 percent of fatalities involved riders who were age 20 and older while deaths among those younger than age 20 have seen a decline of 88 percent. There are more male victims than female victims for every year since 1975.
Illinois does not have a state helmet law with requirements for anyone to wear a helmet while riding. However, studies have shown that helmet usage reduces the number of head injuries by 50 percent and face and neck injuries by 33 percent. In fact, statistics show that fewer than 17 percent of fatality crashes involve riders wearing a helmet.
Most counties in Illinois had no bicycle-related deaths for 2015. The majority of those with fatalities were located in the northeastern corner of the state. Most counties had fewer than six deaths, but one county exceeded that number. Cook County reported 14 for the year, which is an increase over the previous year of 11. Surrounding counties also reported bicycle deaths, such as DuPage with one and Lake County with one as well. McHenry County reported one while Kane County had two for the year. Will County also had one fatality for 2015.