Vision Zero Chicago Traffic Fatalities List

Chicago's Vision Zero program maintains a monthly-updated list of traffic fatalities within city jurisdiction, compiled by the Chicago Department of Transportation. The dataset is edited annually to align with official Illinois Department of Transportation findings and can be linked to other crash datasets using the Person_ID field. Records follow a standardized definition that may differ from other traffic crash reports.

Use Cases

• Analyze temporal patterns in traffic fatalities to evaluate Vision Zero safety initiative effectiveness.
• Link records using the Person_ID field to other crash datasets for comprehensive incident reconstruction.
• Study the application of standardized exclusion criteria, such as fatalities on non-trafficways or involving trains, for policy review.

Strengths

• Updated monthly by the Chicago Department of Transportation, ensuring regular data refreshes.
• Follows a standardized, documented process for defining a traffic fatality, derived from Federal and State reporting standards.
• Designed for linkage with other traffic crash datasets via the Person_ID field.

Limitations

• Row count and specific column details are unknown, limiting preliminary analysis.
• Geographic scope is limited to areas under Chicago Police Department jurisdiction, excluding expressways and areas outside city limits.
• Fatality counts may differ from other sources due to specific inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Provenance

Source

Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), compiled from Chicago Police Department's Major Accident Investigation Unit (MAIU).

Collection Method

Compiled after monthly reviews of fatal traffic crash information, with annual edits to reflect Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) published data.

Freshness

Updated monthly, last updated 2026-01-18.

Geography

City of Chicago jurisdiction, excluding expressways and areas outside city limits.