Data and Performance Measurement
NEW! Intersection Crash Analyses, Years 2005-2006. (Revised December 22, 2008) This report examines high-crash locations in 2005-2006 in metropolitan Chicago that contain intersections. The goal of the report is to identify intersections that have high crash frequencies or high crash rates for specific types of crashes. Determining where specific types of collisions occur will allow safety funds to be invested where they may be of the highest benefit.
Highway Traffic Safety Data Overview (August, 2007)
Community Safety Approach
CMAP strongly encourages northeastern Illinois to take a community approach to addressing highway safety that uses the best data and analysis combined with local knowledge of traffic conditions to reduce crashes. This approach can result in safety improvements by strategically looking at traffic patterns in a corridor or neighborhood to address traffic crashes, identifying ways not only to reduce crash risk, but the exposure to risk as well. Sometimes, a solution to a crash problem at one location may be a few blocks or more away.
Presentation to Council of Mayors (pdf, 1MB) February 5, 2008
Regional Traffic Crash Maps
How to Use These Maps
The maps below are technical maps of crash locations and crash concentrations within Metropolitan Chicago. These data represent one among many resources that may be used by engineers and planners to identify sites that might bear further analysis of crash information. The data are not definitive in identifying hazards, since they do not control for volumes at intersections or highway segments. Furthermore, any hazard identification should include a review of original crash records by professional personnel. However, the crash data may be an information tool to use to begin a community process of improving highway safety where concentrations of crashes and casualties are identified.
The most serious cost of crashes is the human toll in casualties - injuries and deaths. Thus, most of the maps below are focused on identifying the sites of fatalities and serious injuries. However, less serious crashes also have a price in property damage and delay. Therefore, that information is also available (via our ftp site because of the file size).
Instructions for using these maps are provided and should be read before trying to open the maps. The maps are technical in nature, with many layers that can be opened and closed, and are best used at highly zoomed-in levels (800-2400%).
Map of All Regional Crashes
A regional map of all crashes in 2005-2006 (pdf, 46MB) is posted to the CMAP FTP site. Access the map with username "cmapftpro" and password "cmapread". Right-click on the posted file entitled safety_allcrashes_yrs0506_20080208.pdf, then select "Save As" to your computer. Note: The map includes several hundred thousand crashes, so opening this file takes some time on even fast computers.
Maps of 2005-2006 Metropolitan Chicago Fatal and Serious Injury Crashes
All Fatal and Serious Injury Crashes (pdf, 12MB)
Overturned Vehicle Crashes (pdf, 10MB)
Head-on Crashes (pdf, 10MB)
Angle Crashes (pdf, 10MB)
Side-Swipe Crashes - Opposite Direction (pdf, 10MB)
Side-Swipe Crashes - Same Direction (pdf, 10MB)
Parked Vehicle Crashes (pdf, 10MB)
Semitractor-Trailer Crashes (pdf, 9MB)
Motorcycle Crashes (pdf, 10MB)
Late Night Crashes (pdf, 10MB)
Speed-Related Crashes (pdf, 10MB)
Vehicle Turning Crashes (pdf, 10MB)