Farm Fatal Injury Trends in Illinois from 1999 to 2019

We identified 510 fatal agricultural incidents in Illinois from 1999 to 2019. Tractors and roadway-related incidents were the two leading sources of fatalities. Older farmers (65 and older) accounted for the highest percentage of fatalities. Among tractor-related incidents, overturns accounted for the highest percentage.

The objective of this study was to analyze fatal injury trends and injury types in Illinois from 1999 to 2019. Data on fatal farm injuries in Illinois were collected from a newspaper clipping service. The data were analyzed by incident type and victim age. The types of farm-related incidents were classified as confined space, ATV, tractor, electrical, farm equipment, and other. From 1999 to 2019, the University of Illinois reported 510 fatal incidents, of which 213 (42%) were tractor-related. Tractor-related incidents represented the largest proportion of fatalities, followed by 82 (16%) roadway-related fatalities and 45 (9%) grain bin fatalities. In the past two decades, there has been an average of 24 fatalities per year. The number of incidents has declined over time, and the five-year moving average for 2019 was approximately 17 incidents. However, the proportion of tractor-related fatalities has remained consistent overtime and represents approximately 34% to 46% of all incidents per year on a five-year moving average. The results reflect a decreasing number of total farm fatalities in the past two decades with yearly fluctuations. Moreover, the results suggest that tractors remain one of the main causes of farm fatalities in Illinois. These results provide a better understanding of agricultural injuries in Illinois, which will help design targeted outreach efforts and provide new focus areas for research.