Illinois Motorcycle Fatality Statistics
Illinois reported 147 fatalities from motorcycle accidents in 2015, according to a report created by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This is a significant increase from 2014 when there were 118, but it is more in line with other years when the number ranged from 130 to 152.
Of those fatality victims in 2015, only 40 wore helmets. Another 105 did not and two were unknown. Illinois is one of the few states to not have any kind of helmet law, even a partial law. Because there is no law, the state had a rate of helmet wear in 2015 of 28 percent. Only 24 lives were saved this year because they were wearing a helmet, but another 40 could have been saved at 100 percent helmet use.
Illinois had 351,298 motorcycles registered in 2014 with a fatality rate per 100,000 of 33.59. This rate is a decrease from previous years when it was over 40 while the number of bikes registered has remained about the same.
The majority of victims in motorcycle crashes were in the 50-59 age range with 36 deaths in 2015. Another 31 were between 20 and 29. The lowest rate was for those age 20 and younger with seven deaths.
Over half of the counties in the state reported at least one motorcycle-related fatality with a few having between six and 15 deaths and one county having between 26 and 35. Cook County had the highest number at 30 with surrounding counties also reporting higher numbers. The number in Cook County was up from 20 in 2014 but down from 36 in 2013.
Lake County, just north of Cook County, reported eight deaths for the year. Will County, to the south, had nine for 2015. St. Clair County, which is located in the southern part of the state, reported six deaths for the same year along with Madison County.