River Forest, IL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in River Forest: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in River Forest and Cook County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Cook County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
0.2 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.3 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Cook County compares with Illinois
Cook County against Illinois and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Cook County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Cook County | Illinois | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 49.0 | 56.0 | 49.7 | 12% below the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.3 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 50% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.53 | 0.50 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.4% | 1.4% | 2.3% | same |
| On snow, slush or ice | 5.7% | 9.0% | 6.2% | 37% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.5% | 24.3% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 16.7% | 17.9% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 40.6% | 42.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 24.0% | 24.1% | 24.8% | same |
Compared with Illinois, Cook County is lower on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
The headline for Cook County: 1.3 deaths for every 100 truck crashes, against 2.6 across Illinois.
Overview
Since 2015, 29,495 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Cook County. They injured 15,477 people and killed 367.
That averages about 7 truck crashes a day in fully reported years.
Only 42 truck crashes were reported in River Forest since 2015; patterns below come from Cook County as a whole.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in June (9.3% of the year) and are lowest in April (7.4%).
November through March accounts for 40.6% of truck crashes here, compared with 42.0% in Illinois.
By time of day, 8–9 am stands out with 7.2% of truck crashes.
Road surface: 5.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Illinois: 9.0%).
Where crashes happen
Roads with fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of River Forest since 2015: I-290 (11), I-55 (11), SR-50 (10), I-294 (9) and I-90 (7). No single road stands out.
Garbage & waste trucks
425 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.4% share (Illinois: 1.4%).
The most garbage-truck crashes happen in May (11%).
They recorded 0.2 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.3 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for River Forest fleets
- Build extra time into June routes: it has the most truck crashes here.
- Waste haulers: May is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Cook County.
- Paste your stops into the free Route Planner to see the risk score, safer alternatives and low bridges.
About the data
This report uses the FMCSA crash file (reported crashes of trucks over 10,000 lb) and NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes). It reports the numbers without guessing at reasons.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Cook County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-290 | 11 |
| I-55 | 11 |
| SR-50 | 10 |
| I-294 | 9 |
| I-90 | 7 |
| SR-43 | 6 |
| Roosevelt Rd | 5 |
| SR-64 | 5 |
| I-88 | 3 |
| Pulaski Rd | 3 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Cook County) |
|---|---|
| I-294 | 2,877 |
| I-90 | 989 |
| I-94 | 802 |
| I-290 | 473 |
| I-55 | 458 |
| I-80 | 348 |
| S Cicero Ave | 339 |
| I-57 | 296 |
River Forest at a glance
| Population | 11,909 |
| Land area | 2.5 sq mi |
| Density | 4,802 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 60305) | $146,786 |
| Median home value (ZIP 60305) | $666,232 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Cook County since the 1990s
Combines the FMCSA crash file (all reported truck crashes, real coverage from about 1990) with NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes involving a large truck, 1982–2024).
| Decade | Truck crashes / yr | Change | Fatal crashes / yr (FARS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1,033 | — | 42.5 |
| 2000s | 2,315 | +124% | 36.0 |
| 2010s | 2,360 | +2% | 20.9 |
| 2020s | 2,496 | +6% | 37.4 |
In the 1990s about 1,033 truck crashes a year were reported; in the 2020s, about 2,496. Reporting coverage also changed between these periods. NHTSA counts 27.0 fatal large-truck crashes a year in 2016–19 and 37.4 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about River Forest
How many truck accidents are there in River Forest?
29,495 truck crashes have been reported in Cook County since 2015, with 367 deaths and 15,477 injuries.
What is the worst month for truck crashes in River Forest?
June has the most truck crashes in Cook County, 9.3% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck crashes are there in River Forest?
Since 2015, Cook County has reported 425 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.4% of its truck crashes.
How does River Forest compare with Illinois for truck crashes?
Cook County records 49.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents a year, against 56.0 across Illinois.
How can I plan a safer truck route in River Forest?
The free Route Planner takes your stops and returns a route risk score, safer alternatives and low-bridge warnings.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.