We Did It, Illinois: No Fatal Expressway Shootings Last Year

This is one of those stories that makes you pause and say, "okay... we'll take the win." because for the first time in a decade, Illinois went an entire year without a fatal interstate highway shooting.

No deaths.

Zero.

Now that's something that's worth acknowledging, even if the bar feels ridiculously low.

If you remember in 2021, expressway shootings were out of control.  We hit a terrifying peak of 310 shootings, and it felt like every week there was another headline that made you weave and duck as you're driving on the highway.

We Did It, Illinois: No Fatal Expressway Shootings Last Year

Since then, the numbers have been moving in the right direction.  Fast.  Last year, shootings dropped to 61 total incidents, an 80% decrease from that peak!  And in 2025, not a single one was fatal.  Compare that to 2024, though.  12 people lost their lives.

So... what changed?  A big part has to do with the technology and strategy: Illinois State Police have expanded the use of automatic license plate readers on highways, there are nearly 600!  They do a lot, like track vehicle data like time, date, and location, then flag cars connected to stolen vehicles or violent crimes in real time.

The means troopers can respond smarter, not just faster.  Instead of risky traffic stops, police can coordinate with surveillance and wait until it's safer to make an arrest.  It's also helped crack many cases, too!  Of course, critics argue that the system crosses into surveillance overreach, and there's an ongoing lawsuit challenging its use.

So, at the end of the day, we're celebrating something that should be normal.  Let's keep the fatalities at zero!