Buffalo County, South Dakota: fatal crash statistics
FARS records 4 deaths in 3 fatal crashes in Buffalo County in 2024.
FARS records 14 deaths in 13 fatal crashes in the county from 2015 to 2024.
From 2015 to 2024 the rate is 71.8 deaths for each 100,000 residents in a year.
The rate of South Dakota in the same years is 14.9.
The county has fewer than 20 deaths in these years, so a small change in the count moves the rate.
By deaths from 2015 to 2024, Buffalo County was number 27 of 66 counties of South Dakota.
To qualify as a FARS case, the crash had to involve a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public and must have resulted in the death of a motorist or a non-motorist within 30 days of the crash.
The set of first files, known as the Annual Report File (ARF), is released following the crash year. The ARF is replaced about a year later with a final file, which contains additional cases or updates to cases that had become available after the ARF was released.
NHTSA's words. Source: NHTSA, Fatality Analysis Reporting System Analytical User's Manual, 1975-2024 (DOT HS 813 794, April 2026), copied on .
This page rests on the FARS 2024 annual file. NHTSA released it on . NHTSA can revise the counts in the final file. Release dates
Since the last update: no figure of this county has a change on record.
Deaths and fatal crashes by year
Buffalo County has fewer than 20 deaths from 2015 to 2024. This page gives totals of five years, not single years.
| Period | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 to 2024 | 11 | 10 |
| 2015 to 2019 | 3 | 3 |
| 2010 to 2014 | 1 or 2 | 1 or 2 |
| 2005 to 2009 | 4 | 3 |
| 2000 to 2004 | 7 | 7 |
| 1995 to 1999 | 4 | 4 |
| 1990 to 1994 | 3 | 3 |
| 1985 to 1989 | 1 or 2 | 1 or 2 |
| 1980 to 1984 | 7 | 7 |
| 1975 to 1979 | 4 | 4 |
Note: a count of 1 or 2 is written "1 or 2". A death is in FARS when it occurs in 30 days or less after the crash.
Rate for each 100,000 residents
| Period | Buffalo County | South Dakota | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 221.1 | 15.7 | 11.5 |
| 2015 to 2024, in a year | 71.8 | 14.9 | 11.8 |
Note: the rate divides the deaths in the county by its residents. Persons who do not live in the county are in the deaths, not in the residents.
Population: Census Bureau estimates, vintage 2025. Buffalo County had 1,809 residents in 2024.
Factors that NHTSA records
| Factor | Count | Counted among | Share | Share in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A driver recorded as drinkingof 13 fatal crashes | 8 | 13 fatal crashes | 34.9% | |
| A speeding-related driverof 13 fatal crashes | 1 or 2 | 13 fatal crashes | 26.6% | |
| No restraint usedof 9 occupant deaths with restraint use known | 8 | 9 occupant deathswith restraint use known | n/a | 65.8% |
| Pedestriansof 14 deaths | 3 | 14 deaths | 7.7% | |
| Bicyclistsof 14 deaths | 1 or 2 | 14 deaths | 0.7% | |
| Motorcyclistsof 14 deaths | 1 or 2 | 14 deaths | 16.9% | |
| On a rural roadof 13 fatal crashes with the condition reported | 13 | 13 fatal crasheswith the condition reported | 81.7% | |
| In the darkof 13 fatal crashes with the condition reported | 6 | 13 fatal crasheswith the condition reported | 36.4% |
Note: FARS records a driver as drinking when police reported alcohol involvement or a test of the driver was positive for alcohol. It is not NHTSA's alcohol-impaired measure, which uses a blood alcohol concentration of .08 g/dL or higher. One crash can be in two or more rows. NHTSA's definitions
Note that alcohol data is often missing. For that reason, this data element may under-count the actual number of drinking drivers.
Weekday, time and road class
| Weekday | Midnight to 6 a.m. | 6 a.m. to noon | Noon to 6 p.m. | 6 p.m. to midnight | All |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 1 or 2 | 1 or 2 | 1 or 2 | 1 or 2 | 5 |
| Monday | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tuesday | 0 | 0 | 1 or 2 | 0 | 1 or 2 |
| Wednesday | 0 | 0 | 1 or 2 | 0 | 1 or 2 |
| Thursday | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 or 2 | 1 or 2 |
| Friday | 0 | 0 | 1 or 2 | 0 | 1 or 2 |
| Saturday | 1 or 2 | 0 | 1 or 2 | 0 | 3 |
| All days | 4 | 1 or 2 | 5 | 3 | 13 |
Note: a cell with a stronger shade has a larger count. The table has the fatal crashes with a known hour and weekday.
| Road function class | Fatal crashes | Share | Share in South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interstate | 0 | 0.0% | 14.7% |
| Other freeways and expressways | 0 | 0.0% | 3.2% |
| Other principal arterial | 0 | 0.0% | 25.5% |
| Minor arterial | 5 | 38.5% | 19.3% |
| Major collector | 5 | 38.5% | 21.8% |
| Minor collector | 0 | 0.0% | 2.4% |
| Local | 3 | 23.1% | 13.0% |
| Not reported | 0 | n/a | n/a |
Note: the classes are those of the Federal Highway Administration. The shares are of the crashes with a reported class. Road function classes
Light condition and weather
| Light condition | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Daylight | 4 |
| Dark, not lighted | 5 |
| Dark, lighted | 1 or 2 |
| Dawn | 0 |
| Dusk | 3 |
| Dark, lighting unknown | 0 |
| Other or unknown | 0 |
| Weather | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 11 |
| Cloudy | 1 or 2 |
| Rain | 0 |
| Snow, sleet or freezing rain | 0 |
| Fog, smog or smoke | 0 |
| Crosswinds or blowing sand/snow | 1 or 2 |
| Other or not reported | 0 |
Routes in the county
| Route | Type | In Buffalo | In all of South Dakota |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Route 34 | State highway | 1 or 2 | 24 |
Note: the table has each route with a page that has a fatal crash in the county, in name order. Local streets and county roads have no page. Their crashes are in the county totals. All routes in South Dakota
Adjacent counties
These lists are for navigation. They are in name order.
Deaths for each 100,000 residents in a year, 2015 to 2024
- Fewer than 109 counties
- 10 to 14.912 counties
- 15 to 19.910 counties
- 20 to 29.916 counties
- 30 or more17 counties
- Count of 1 or 2, no rate shown2 counties
- Buffalo County: 71.8
The limits of the classes are the same for every state. A county with few residents can show a high rate from few deaths. A class is not a judgement of a county. The full map and the table of counties of South Dakota
| County | State | Deaths, 2024 | Deaths, 2015 to 2024 | For each 100,000 residents in a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brule County | South Dakota | 1 or 2 | 6 | 11.4 |
| Hand County | South Dakota | 0 | 5 | 15.7 |
| Hyde County | South Dakota | 1 or 2 | 5 | 39.6 |
| Jerauld County | South Dakota | 1 or 2 | 4 | 21.8 |
| Lyman County | South Dakota | 5 | 21 | 55.7 |
Source of the list: Census Bureau county adjacency file, 2026 edition.
Counties of similar population
These counties of South Dakota have a population nearest to that of Buffalo County. The list is for navigation and is in name order. The number is the deaths from 2015 to 2024.
Official channels
- NHTSA Fatality and Injury Reporting System Tool (FIRST)NHTSA's query tool for FARS counts.
- NHTSA FARS EncyclopediaNHTSA's tables of FARS data.
- Governors Highway Safety Association: State Highway Safety OfficesThe list of the highway safety offices of the states.
These links go to the sites of the agencies. They were checked on .
Cite this page
Fatal Roads. Buffalo County, South Dakota: fatal crash statistics. https://fatalroads.com/county/sd/buffalo/. Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System, FARS 2024 annual file. Data to .
The address of this page does not change.
Source of the figures
Counts: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fatality Analysis Reporting System, national files of 1975 to 2024. The factors use the vehicle and person files from 2015. Residents: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, vintage 2025. Map: Census Bureau cartographic boundary file, 2021 edition. Data to . The figures are totals. No page of this site is about one crash or one person.
How the figures are made. Data sources and licences. Corrections.
Questions
How many deaths did FARS record in Buffalo in the ten years before 2015?
FARS records 5 deaths in Buffalo County from 2005 to 2014. It records 14 deaths from 2015 to 2024.
What was the rate of Buffalo in 2024?
The rate of Buffalo County in 2024 was 221.1 deaths for each 100,000 residents. The rate of South Dakota was 15.7. The rate of the United States was 11.5.
How many fatal crashes in Buffalo had a driver recorded as drinking?
FARS records a driver as drinking in 8 of 13 fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024. This count is not NHTSA's alcohol-impaired measure. NHTSA says that alcohol data is often missing, so the count may be too low.
How many fatal crashes did FARS record on signed routes in Buffalo?
FARS records 1 or 2 fatal crashes on State Route 34 in the county from 2015 to 2024.