South Chicago Heights, IL truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in South Chicago Heights: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in South Chicago Heights 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 |
Cook County sits below Illinois on crashes per 100k residents / yr, deaths per 100 crashes and on snow, slush or ice.
South Chicago Heights at a glance: 2.0× yearly fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of South Chicago Heights: 4.8 in 2016–19, 9.4 in 2020–24.
Overview
Since 2015, 29,495 crashes involving commercial trucks have been reported in Cook County. They injured 15,477 people and killed 367.
Across the years with complete reporting, that is roughly 7 truck crashes every day.
Only 0 truck crashes were reported in South Chicago Heights 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.
More truck crashes happen at 8–9 am than at any other hour (7.2%).
Road surface: 5.7% of truck crashes were on snow, slush or ice (Illinois: 9.0%).
Where crashes happen
The deadliest road for trucks within 10 miles of South Chicago Heights is I-80, with 13 fatal large-truck crashes since 2015. It is followed by I-57 (6), SR-394 (6) and US-30 (6).
Garbage & waste trucks
425 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.4% share (Illinois: 1.4%).
Their busiest month is May, with 11% of garbage-truck crashes.
They recorded 0.2 deaths per 100 crashes, against 1.3 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for South Chicago Heights fleets
- Review driver schedules for June, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Check whether your routes use I-80, the road with the most fatal truck crashes in this area.
- Waste haulers: May is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Cook County.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
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-80 | 13 |
| I-57 | 6 |
| SR-394 | 6 |
| US-30 | 6 |
| I-94 | 5 |
| SR-1 | 5 |
| I-294 | 3 |
| SR-83 | 3 |
| US-6 | 3 |
| SR-50 | 2 |
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 |
South Chicago Heights at a glance
| Population | 3,887 |
| Land area | 1.6 sq mi |
| Density | 2,459 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 60475) | $67,487 |
| Median home value (ZIP 60475) | $154,367 |
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 South Chicago Heights
How many truck accidents are there in South Chicago Heights?
29,495 truck crashes have been reported in Cook County since 2015, with 367 deaths and 15,477 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in South Chicago Heights?
NHTSA data shows I-80 with 13 fatal large-truck crashes within 10 miles of South Chicago Heights since 2015, the highest of any road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in South Chicago Heights?
June has the most truck crashes in Cook County, 9.3% of the yearly total.
How many garbage truck accidents happen in South Chicago Heights?
Since 2015, Cook County has reported 425 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.4% of its truck crashes.
What is the truck crash rate in South Chicago Heights compared with Illinois?
The yearly rate is 49.0 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Cook County, vs 56.0 for Illinois.
What is the best way to plan truck routes in South Chicago Heights?
Paste your stops into the free CurbWaste Route Planner: it scores your route against fatal-crash locations, suggests safer alternatives and flags low bridges.
2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.