Replies(34) One-hundred and fifty-five pedestrians died in Illinois in 2020, down from 171 last year, even as pedestrian deaths spiked nationwide. (Shutterstock) ILLINOIS — Speeding and drunken and distracted driving are the likely culprits behind a spike in pedestrian deaths recorded in several U.S. states last year, according to new data released Thursday. In fact, bad driver behavior during the coronavirus pandemic likely contributed to the largest-ever nationwide increase in pedestrian deaths recorded in a single year, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association's 2020 report on pedestrian fatalities by state. Luckily, Illinois seemed to buck the national trend. It was among several states that saw a decrease in pedestrian deaths, or the number of people on foot who were killed by people driving cars, in 2020.