I have lived in the Chicagoland area for 62 years. I have wisdom enough to understand Chicago has changed and not for the better. I would much rather take my chances on Death Valley. You do you.
Well, Chicago might be dangerous too. However, the people killed in Death Valley mostly did stupid things, whether driving, offroading, hiking, motorcycling, etc. Like not a great idea to go there is the summer. If you do, best to stay on asphalt roads. Bring plenty of water and have a full tank of gas. Don’t rely on a GPS.