Fewer Car Accidents in Chicago in May, but Bike Accidents Jump Nearly 30%, According to Briskman Briskman & Greenberg’s Latest Report
Chicago, Illinois – The Chicago car accident lawyers at Briskman Briskman & Greenberg, have published an independent analysis of City of Chicago crash records for the month of May across four consecutive years, 2023 through 2026. The study finds that while overall crash volume has declined, the people most exposed on city roads, particularly bicyclists, are still seeing a surge in accidents.
The law firm did an analysis of May because, historically, Memorial Day is the start of Summer travel. This year, drivers in Illinois are facing historically high gas prices, which are possibly shifting would-be drivers into the bike lane.
According to data provided by the City of Chicago and reviewed by Briskman Briskman & Greenberg’s attorneys, total vehicle crash records in May fell to 19,700 in 2026, the lowest figure in four years. That marks a 1.3 percent decline from 2025 and sits 6.4 percent below the May 2024 peak of 21,056. May crash volume has now decreased two years in a row.
The trend for cyclists ran in the opposite direction. Bicycle involvement in May crashes climbed from 181 in 2023 to 279 in 2026, a 29.2 percent increase over the past year and a 54.1 percent rise across the full period. Pedestrian involvement followed a similar upward path, increasing 6.4 percent year over year.
The report also documents a steady change in the vehicles on Chicago roads. Passenger car involvement declined 11.3 percent over the four years, while SUV involvement rose every single year, for a cumulative increase of 26.8 percent.
Paul Greenberg, the managing member of Briskman Briskman & Greenberg, is an avid cyclist and bicycle safety advocate. Last month, Greenberg shared the firm’s research on the growing dangers to bicyclists in the windy city on CAN TV’s Chicago This Week, airing on Channel 21.
“The value of an independent study like this is not in any single number, it is in what those numbers prompt people to do,” said Paul Greenberg. “When drivers learn that overall crashes are falling but the people with the least protection are being hit more often, we hope it leads to more caution behind the wheel, especially around cyclists and pedestrians.”
The analysis covers every May from 2023 through 2026 and includes the Memorial Day holiday weekend, a period of elevated travel across the region.
“A citywide decline in crashes is genuinely encouraging, but it can mask who is still being put at risk,” Greenberg said. “Bicycle accidents in Chicago are up more than fifty percent since 2023. That is the trend we want drivers, planners, and policymakers paying attention to, because those are the collisions where a person on a bike has very little to shield them and most at risk of serious injury.”
The full report on Chicago Car Accidents in May 2026 is available on the law firm’s website.
The attorneys at Briskman Briskman & Greenberg Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers have successfully represented individuals and families who have been injured or lost loved ones as a result of someone’s carelessness or a workplace accident. We have achieved success in thousands of cases, recovering millions of dollars in damages for our clients in a wide variety of cases, including personal injury, car accidents, wrongful death, medical malpractice, pharmacy errors, dog bite injuries, and work injuries.
Briskman Briskman & Greenberg Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers
205 W Randolph St Suite 925
Chicago, IL 60606
1 (312) 313-2414
https://www.briskmanandbriskman.com/
Press Contact : Paul Greenberg
Distributed by Law Firm Newswire
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