10 Fatal Crash Statistics Every Illinois Teen Driver Should Know
Does your teen driver know the most recent data involving fatal crashes? Parent involvement is a key factor in improving teen driver safety. Parents are the unofficial “driving coaches” who help their teens learn to drive and lead the licensing process. Ensure your teenagers understand the responsibility that comes along with earning an Illinois driver’s license.
Interested in learning more about teen driver safety? Read, ‘5 Common Causes of Car Crashes and How to Avoid Them’ or join us in celebrating 2019 Teen Driver Safety Week by participating in our week-long giveaways!
10 Important Statistics Related to Fatal Crashes
- Illinois had 943 fatal crashes in 2018. Of the 258 fatal crashes, restraints were not used or improperly used.
- 155 Illinois drivers involved in fatal crashes in 2018 were not licensed.
- In the last five years, 2018 marked the highest number of pedestrian fatality involvements, totaling 165 pedestrians.
- The number of work zone related crash fatalities has decreased from the previous year, down from 30 incidents to 18.
- As of October 21, 2019, Illinois city streets have the highest number of fatalities.
- As of October 21, 2019, Illinois has observed 729 fatal crashes.
- As of October 21, 2019, Cook County has had 228 crash-related fatalities.
- The CDC reports that distracted driving caused an average of 9 deaths and 1,000 injuries per day in 2018.
- Distracted driving is the cause of more than 58% of crashes involving teen drivers.
- According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), 16-year-old drivers are more than 20 times as likely to have a motor vehicle crash than any other licensed driver.
More information on Illinois specific data related to fatal crashes can be found on the Illinois Department of Transportation snapshot dashboard.
Helping Illinois Teens Become Intelligent Drivers
Top Driver offers classroom driver education and behind-the-wheel training options for Illinois teens using teaching techniques designed to create safe and intelligent drivers for life. We offer the most flexible schedule options for your convenience in this important process. We also offer home pickup in many locations at no extra cost. Find a Top Driver location near you or contact our team with any questions.
Not in Illinois? We also offer teen driver education courses in Michigan and Ohio (online only).
Frequently asked questions
How many fatal crashes happened in Illinois in 2018?
Illinois recorded 943 fatal crashes in 2018. Of those, 258 involved occupants who were not wearing seat belts or were using them incorrectly, and 155 of the drivers involved were not licensed at all. Pedestrian fatalities also reached a five-year high that year, with 165 pedestrians killed. These numbers come from the Illinois Department of Transportation snapshot dashboard, which Top Driver instructors reference when teaching teens why seat belt use, licensing, and pedestrian awareness matter.
Why are 16-year-old drivers considered the highest-risk age group on the road?
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 16-year-olds are more than 20 times as likely to be involved in a motor vehicle crash than drivers of any other licensed age. The reasons are inexperience, slower hazard recognition, and higher rates of distraction. That is why Illinois uses a graduated driver licensing system and why Top Driver pairs classroom instruction with behind-the-wheel training. Parents play a major role here too, since coached practice hours during the permit phase are one of the strongest predictors of safer outcomes after a teen is licensed.
How dangerous is distracted driving for teens specifically?
The CDC reported that distracted driving caused an average of 9 deaths and 1,000 injuries per day across the U.S. in 2018. For teen drivers, distraction is even more disproportionate, factoring into more than 58% of crashes involving a teen behind the wheel. Phones, passengers, food, and infotainment screens are the most common culprits. Top Driver curriculum specifically trains students to put the phone out of reach, limit teen passengers during the first year of licensure, and pre-set navigation and music before putting the car in drive.
Which Illinois county has the most traffic fatalities?
As of October 21, 2019, Cook County led the state with 228 crash-related fatalities, and Illinois as a whole had recorded 729 fatal crashes year-to-date. City streets, not highways, accounted for the largest share of those deaths. For families in the Chicago metro area, that data underscores why low-speed urban driving still demands full attention. Top Driver locations across Cook, DuPage, Lake, and the collar counties build heavy city-driving practice into behind-the-wheel lessons for exactly that reason.
What can parents do to lower their teen's crash risk?
Parents are the unofficial driving coaches during the permit phase, and their involvement is one of the strongest predictors of teen driver safety. Practical steps include logging supervised practice hours in varied conditions, enforcing a no-phone rule in the car, limiting late-night driving, capping the number of teen passengers, and modeling seat belt use every single trip. Enrolling teens in a structured course that combines classroom education with behind-the-wheel coaching gives parents a clear curriculum to reinforce at home.
Does Top Driver offer teen driver education outside of Illinois?
Yes. Top Driver offers in-person teen driver education in Illinois and Michigan, and an online-only teen course in Ohio. Illinois students can choose from flexible classroom schedules and behind-the-wheel options, and many locations include home pickup for behind-the-wheel lessons at no extra cost. Families can find the nearest location at topdriver.com or contact the Top Driver team directly to compare program formats.
