These Are 7 Things in Illinois That Can, And Just Might, Kill You

It's inevitable.  Death and taxes.  Paying your taxes this week could give you a heart attack and be the reason for your death.  Reminder, the Illinois government won't let a pesky little thing like your death stop them from collecting those taxes.

But what else can do you in as you are trying to live in Illinois?  Well, here are seven ways that unfortunately are quite possible ways to meet the reaper.

7 - Watch Out For Those Drivers

Some people say Illinois drivers are the worst.  Statistically, though, they are not the worst in the country.  However, 9.3 out of 100,000 people in Illinois die from vehicular accidents every year.

On the bright side, there are 40 fewer deaths on Illinois roads right now than at the same time last year.  So maybe more people are paying attention and driving better.

6 - Watch out for Deer

We can't always blame other drivers.  Sometimes it's just an animal trying to cross the road.  In 2019 there were over 16,000 crashes involving deer.  Always gotta keep your eye out for them to ruin your drive to grandma's house.

5 - Heart Disease

Illinois is the 7th worst state in the country for Heart Disease.  This mostly comes from a lack of exercise, smoking, drinking, and diet.

While Illinois is not as bad when it comes to diet as states like Kentucky and West Virginia, 30-35% of the Illinois population is obese adding to the potential for heart disease.

4 - Deadly spiders in Illinois

Who would have thought there are deadly spiders in Illinois?!  But there is actually more than one kind.  Illinois is home to both Black Widows and Brown Recluse.

While they are mostly confined to Southern Illinois, due to warming temperatures they continue to crawl to the north side of the state.

3 - Wicked weather from top to bottom

It's not just about the tornadoes, but Illinois has freezing temps, excessive heat, floods, lightning, ice, and more.  Mother Nature is always trying to kill you.

2 - Drug abuse and overdoses

Based on the latest numbers from the CDC, 2778 people died from drug use in Illinois.  From a percentage standpoint, this is actually right on par with the rest of the nation.  Illinois is at a rate of 21.6 while the US is at 21.7.

1 - Gun Violence and Homicide

Unfortunately, Illinois is 7th in the nation when it comes to deaths by firearm.  Illinois is only behind Texas, California, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania in this statistic.

Of course, a lot of this violence stems from Chicago which is consistently in the top ten most dangerous cities in America.

Chicago has a crime rate of 3,926 per 100,000 people, making it 67% more dangerous than the US average. In 2020, Chicago had 26,620 violent crimes, including 774 murders.

There are a lot of ways to die in Illinois.  So when you are living, get out and live it.  Just watch out for bad weather, bad drivers, bad animals, fatty foods, and of course know who you are around, especially in Chicago.