Car Accidents in Chicago, IL: Police Reports and Crash Data
Key crash statistics, high-risk roads, and accident report resources in Chicago, IL.
We pay close attention to where crashes happen most often, especially in high-traffic areas like the Loop and Near North Side. While city records show that traffic deaths have dropped for two years in a row, we know that a few long, busy streets still see far too many serious accidents. Our team is committed to understanding the risks and keeping our neighbors informed about how and where crashes are happening.
We believe that having the right information can make all the difference when it comes to staying safe on Chicago’s roads. That’s why we work together to track crash data, spot patterns, and share insights that matter to our community.
Before you start tracking down paperwork, find out whether your crash happened on an expressway or a city street. That makes a difference in which agency wrote your report and where you’ll need to get it.
Getting a Chicago Police Crash Report
The Chicago Police Department handles crashes on city streets, including DuSable Lake Shore Drive. If your crash happened on an expressway, it’s the Illinois State Police who respond, they rarely handle crashes on regular city streets.
You can get a Chicago police report from the Records Customer Service Section at 3510 S. Michigan Ave. (call (312) 745-5130). Reports cost $6, or $1.50 for an amended copy. For crashes from 2016 onward, you can buy your report online from the department’s Purchase Crash Report page by searching your RD number, name, and crash date. Older and paper reports need to be requested in person.
If the Illinois State Police handled your crash, the report costs $5 through the ISP’s E-Pay site or by mail. Illinois law also requires drivers to file their own written report within 10 days if the crash resulted in injury, death, or property damage over $1,500 (or $500 if you’re uninsured). You can find step-by-step instructions in our Illinois crash report guide.
Not sure which agency took your report, or just don’t want to deal with the forms? We can get a copy of your report for you at no cost.
Chicago Traffic Deaths and Injuries, 2021 to 2025
| Measure | Figure | Year | Source |
| People killed in crashes Chicago police responded to | 93, down from 123 in 2024 | 2025 | City of Chicago Data Portal, Traffic Crashes |
| Pedestrians and bicyclists killed | 33 pedestrians, 2 bicyclists | 2025 | City of Chicago Data Portal, Traffic Crashes – People |
| People with serious (incapacitating) injuries | 1,710, down from 1,931 in 2024 | 2025 | City of Chicago Data Portal, Traffic Crashes |
| Crashes recorded by Chicago police | 109,117 | 2025 | City of Chicago Data Portal, Traffic Crashes |
| People killed in crashes Chicago police responded to | 165 | 2021 | City of Chicago Data Portal, Traffic Crashes |
We pulled these numbers from the City of Chicago Data Portal’s crash records, based on Chicago Police Department reports. These records only include crashes that Chicago police responded to, so expressways and their ramps aren’t counted. Police also log some crashes that fall below the state’s reporting threshold.
Since 2021, traffic deaths have dropped by over 40 percent, while the yearly number of crashes has stayed between about 108,000 and 112,000. Nights are especially dangerous: from 2023 to 2025, 168 out of 367 people killed in crashes died between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m.
High Crash Corridors in Chicago
The Chicago Department of Transportation identified 43 High Crash Corridors, about 70 miles of streets, in its Vision Zero High Crash Corridors Framework Plan (June 2018). Each street listed below is on that list, with the specific segment named in the plan. The crash counts are from city data for 2023 through 2025 and cover the entire stretch of each street within city limits, not just the highlighted segment.
- DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Roosevelt to Division: Records filed under the drive’s northbound and southbound names show 26 people killed from 2023 to 2025, and 149 seriously injured across 6,236 crashes. This stretch also appears on the corridor list in the city’s Vision Zero Downtown Action Plan.
- Halsted Street, 79th to 75th Street: Over the same period, Halsted saw 18 deaths, 137 serious injuries, and 6,201 crashes.
- Western Avenue, 74th to 63rd Street: Western had the highest crash totals in the city, with 9,159 crashes, 178 serious injuries, and 9 deaths from 2023 to 2025.
- Pulaski Road, 71st Street to Archer Avenue: In those three years, Pulaski saw 12 deaths, 165 serious injuries, and 8,161 crashes.
- Cicero Avenue, Arthington Street to Madison Street: Cicero had 9 deaths, 166 serious injuries, and 7,595 crashes from 2023 to 2025.
Chicago Trauma Centers for Crash Injuries
Chicago’s Level I trauma centers are Northwestern Memorial Hospital (251 E. Huron St.), UChicago Medicine (5841 S. Maryland Ave.), John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County (1969 W. Ogden Ave.), and Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Each hospital lists its Level I status on its website.
For children, Lurie Children’s Hospital (225 E. Chicago Ave.) and UChicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital are both state-designated Level I pediatric trauma centers.
Once the hospital part is behind you, our team can point you to local help, whether that’s doctors, body shops, or injury attorneys. Contact our team.
Chicago Crash Questions, Answered
How many people died in Chicago traffic crashes in 2025?
City crash data shows that 93 people were killed in crashes Chicago police responded to in 2025, down from 123 in 2024 and 165 in 2021. Of those 93, 33 were pedestrians, and 2 were bicyclists. This count doesn’t include expressway crashes, which are handled by the Illinois State Police.
Which Chicago streets have the most crashes?
Western Avenue had the most crashes in Chicago from 2023 to 2025, with 9,159 crashes and 178 serious injuries. DuSable Lake Shore Drive had 26 deaths, and Halsted Street had 18. All three streets have segments on the city’s 2018 High Crash Corridors list.
How much does a Chicago police crash report cost?
A Chicago police crash report costs $6, and an amended report is $1.50. For crashes from 2016 onward, you can buy a report online with the RD number, your name, and the crash date. Older and paper reports are available from the Records Customer Service Section at 3510 S. Michigan Ave.
What time of day are Chicago crashes deadliest?
Late night. From 2023 through 2025, 168 of the 367 people killed in Chicago police crash records died between 9 p.m. and 4 a.m., about 46 percent. The single deadliest hours were 11 p.m. and 10 p.m., while the morning hours of 9 and 10 a.m. had the fewest deaths.
Cook County Accident Reports on Local Accident Reports
Woman Dies in House Fire in Chicago’s Roseland Neighborhood, Chicago, IL
Two Injured in Semi-Truck Rollover on I-294 SB in Hazel Crest, IL
Fatal Apartment Fire on Harlem Ave in River Forest, IL
Two Hospitalized in I-90 EB Rollover Crash in Rolling Meadows, IL
Motorcyclist, Bicyclist Hurt in LaGrange Rd Crash in Orland Park, IL
At Local Accident Reports, we cover crashes in all fifty states. But that’s not all; we also report the latest crashes county by county, not just state by state. Our goal is to give drivers and other road users reliable, up-to-date crash information for any location they’re interested in.
Here, you’ll find some of the most recent crashes in Cook County, which includes Chicago, Oak Park, and Glencoe. You can view the full archive in our Cook County accident news section.
Chicago’s crash corridors have counterparts across the state, and dangerous roads and intersections in Illinois get their own page. For new wrecks anywhere in the country, recent accident alerts are updated as crashes are reported.
Local Accident Reports compiles this information from public agency sources and published reports for general reference. It is not legal advice and is not an official police record. Fees, forms and deadlines change, so confirm with the agency before you send a request. Last updated October 2026.