Vision Zero Chicago: Traffic Fatalities with Location and Victim Details

Monthly-updated records of traffic fatalities within Chicago's Vision Zero program, compiled by the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT). The list is derived from police reports and follows a standardized definition that may differ from other crash datasets. Records can be linked to other crash data via the Person_ID field.

Use Cases

• Geospatial analysis of crash hotspots using Longitude, Latitude, and Community Areas (from 13 available columns).
• Temporal trend analysis of fatalities over time using the Crash_Date column (from 13 available columns).
• Linking individual victim records to broader crash datasets using the Person_ID field (from 13 available columns).
• Assessing crash circumstances by analyzing the descriptive Crash_Circumstances field (from 13 available columns).

Strengths

• Data is updated monthly and reconciled with annual Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) publications.
• Includes explicit geospatial columns (Longitude, Latitude) and administrative boundaries (Wards, ZIP Codes, Community Areas).
• Provides a clear, documented methodology for inclusion/exclusion as a 'traffic fatality'.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The dataset's definition of a traffic fatality differs from other sources, requiring careful interpretation.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), using information from the Chicago Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation Unit (MAIU).

Collection Method

Compiled after monthly reviews of fatal traffic crash information, following a standardized process.

Freshness

Updated monthly; last updated 2026-04-02 21:14:52.

Geography

City of Chicago, excluding expressways under state jurisdiction.