Every year, traffic safety experts brace for the same grim stretch of the calendar: the roughly 100 days between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Known nationally as the "100 Deadliest Days," this period consistently produces a measurable spike in serious and fatal motor vehicle crashes, and Illinois roads are no exception. For families across Chicagoland and throughout the state, understanding why summer driving is so dangerous, and what your legal rights are if a crash happens, can make all the difference.

At The Law Offices Parente & Norem, P.C., our attorneys have represented injured drivers, passengers, motorcyclists, and pedestrians across Illinois for decades. This week, as part of our Motor Vehicle Accident awareness series, we're taking a closer look at the summer crash spike, and what Illinois drivers need to know before they get behind the wheel.

Why Are the 100 Days Between Memorial Day and Labor Day So Deadly?

According to a AAA review of federal crash data, more than 13,000 people were killed nationwide in crashes involving teen drivers between 2019 and 2023, and over 30 percent of those deaths occurred during the 100 Deadliest Days. On average, eight people are killed every day in teen involved crashes during the summer, compared to seven per day the rest of the year. In 2024 alone, roughly a third of all deaths in teen-driver crashes nationwide happened in this single Memorial Day to Labor Day window.

But the danger isn't limited to teen drivers. Summer brings a perfect storm of risk factors to Illinois roads:

More miles, more exposure. Vacations, road trips, festivals, and weekend getaways put dramatically more vehicles on highways like I-90, I-94, I-55, I-290, and I-80. More traffic means more opportunities for collisions; especially high-speed ones.

More impaired driving. Holiday weekends such as Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Labor Day are consistently among the deadliest for alcohol related crashes. IDOT data shows that alcohol is a factor in more than one in five fatal Illinois crashes.

More nighttime driving. Longer days and later social plans push more drivers onto the road after dark, when visibility drops and fatigue and impairment rates climb. AAA reports a 22 percent increase in nighttime crashes involving teen drivers during the summer months.

More distraction. Packed cars, navigation apps, and smartphones all compete for a driver's attention at 65 miles per hour.

Illinois has recorded more than 1,200 traffic deaths annually in recent years, and a disproportionate share of those tragedies cluster in the summer months.

Teen Drivers Face the Highest Summer Risk

School is out, supervision is down, and inexperienced drivers are logging more miles than at any other time of year. Research from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety shows that new drivers ages 16–17 are three times more likely than adults to be involved in a deadly crash. During the 100 Deadliest Days specifically, several patterns stand out:

• Roughly 30 percent of fatal teen-driver crashes are speed-related.
• More than a third of teen-driver fatalities occur between 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.
• Distraction plays a role in an estimated 60 percent of teen crashes.
• A majority of teen drivers killed in crashes were not wearing seat belts.

Illinois' Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program restricts nighttime driving and passenger counts for new drivers precisely because of these risks. Parents can go further: set family driving rules, limit late-night trips, require phones on "Do Not Disturb," and model safe driving habits. Remember, if a negligent teen driver injures you or your passenger, that driver (and typically the household's auto insurance policy) can be held legally responsible just like any adult motorist.

The Dangerous Combination Chicagoland Congestion and Construction Zones

Summer in Chicago means two things on the roads, heavy traffic and orange barrels. The Kennedy, Eisenhower, Dan Ryan, Stevenson, and the Tri-State Tollway see some of the worst congestion in the nation, and stop-and-go traffic dramatically increases the risk of rear-end collisions, sideswipes, and chain-reaction crashes.

Construction season compounds the danger. Illinois averages roughly 6,200 work zone crashes every year, causing more than 1,000 injuries, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois State Police. In 2025, preliminary figures show 35 people died in Illinois work zone crashes, and contrary to common assumption, most work zone fatalities are drivers and passengers, not construction workers. Speeding and distracted driving remain the leading causes.

Illinois law reflects how seriously the state treats these hazards. Work zone speed limits are strictly enforced (including by photo enforcement in some zones), fines are enhanced, and Scott's Law,  the state's "Move Over" law, requires drivers to slow down and change lanes when approaching stopped emergency, maintenance, or disabled vehicles. Violations in a crash case can be powerful evidence of negligence.

How Fault Affects Your Injury Claim

After a serious summer crash, one of the first questions injured people ask is: What if I was partly at fault? Illinois answers that question through its modified comparative negligence rule. Here's how it works:

• If you are 50 percent or less at fault, you can still recover compensation, but your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. 
• If you are more than 50 percent at fault, you are barred from recovering anything from the other party.

This makes the fault investigation critical. Insurance companies know the rules too, and they routinely try to shift blame onto injured victims by arguing you were speeding, following too closely, or distracted in order to reduce or eliminate what they owe. Evidence like crash reconstruction, dashcam and traffic camera footage, witness statements, cell phone records, and vehicle data can mean the difference between a full recovery and no recovery at all.

Passengers are almost never at fault for a crash, which means they generally have strong claims against any negligent driver involved. Including, in some cases, the driver of the vehicle they were riding in.

Injured in a Summer Crash? Parente & Norem Is Here to Help

If you or a loved one has been hurt in a car, truck, motorcycle, or work zone crash during the 100 Deadliest Days, or any other time of year, the attorneys at Parente & Norem are ready to fight for you. For injured drivers and passengers, we:

• Investigate the crash thoroughly, preserving evidence, obtaining police reports and camera footage, and working with accident reconstruction experts to establish fault under Illinois law.
• Handle the insurance companies for you, pushing back against attempts to blame you and inflate your share of comparative fault.
• Pursue full compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, disability, and, in the most tragic cases, wrongful death damages for surviving family members.
• Take cases to trial when insurers won't pay what a claim is worth.

We handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless we recover for you. Consultations are always free.

The 100 Deadliest Days are a reminder to slow down, buckle up, put the phone away, and drive sober. But when another driver's negligence turns a summer trip into a tragedy, you don't have to face the aftermath alone. Contact Parente & Norem, P.C. today at 312-641-5926 to speak with an experienced Illinois motor vehicle accident attorney. Your path to justice begins with us.