Fatal Roads

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State

South Dakota

Residents 924,669Deaths 2024 146Deaths 2015–2024 1,323Counties 66Routes with pages 9

FARS data are based on police crash reports and other sources; the drunk-driving measure is based on the highest BAC of any driver in the crash. Latest data year: 2024.

In 2024, 146 people died in 134 fatal crashes in South Dakota; the ten years 2015–2024 total 1,323 deaths in 1,174 crashes.

That is 14.9 deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 26% higher than the national rate of 11.8. The ten-year total fell 7% from 1,430 in 2005–2014 to 1,323 in 2015–2024.

Relative to the national shares, alcohol (a driver reported as drinking) stands out most: 34.9% of fatal crashes against 26.3% nationally. 81.7% of the state's fatal crashes were on rural roads and 36.4% happened after dark.

Among counties with at least 50 deaths in the ten years, the highest rates per 100,000 residents were in Oglala Lakota County (53.9), Lawrence County (30.3) and Pennington County (12.6).

146deaths in 2024134 fatal crashes
14.9per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–2024US 11.8
-7%ten-year change in deaths1,430 → 1,323
35%crashes with a drinking driverUS 26%

Trend since 1975

0114228197519801985199019952000200520102015202020241975: 195 deaths1976: 219 deaths1977: 208 deaths1978: 191 deaths1979: 211 deaths1980: 228 deaths1981: 177 deaths1982: 148 deaths1983: 175 deaths1984: 143 deaths1985: 130 deaths1986: 134 deaths1987: 134 deaths1988: 147 deaths1989: 152 deaths1990: 153 deaths1991: 143 deaths1992: 161 deaths1993: 140 deaths1994: 154 deaths1995: 158 deaths1996: 175 deaths1997: 148 deaths1998: 165 deaths1999: 150 deaths2000: 173 deaths2001: 171 deaths2002: 180 deaths2003: 203 deaths2004: 197 deaths2005: 186 deaths2006: 191 deaths2007: 146 deaths2008: 121 deaths2009: 131 deaths2010: 140 deaths2011: 111 deaths2012: 133 deaths2013: 135 deaths2014: 136 deaths2015: 134 deaths2016: 116 deaths2017: 129 deaths2018: 130 deaths2019: 102 deaths2020: 141 deaths2021: 148 deaths2022: 137 deaths2023: 140 deaths2024: 146 deaths
People killed in crashes in South Dakota by year, 1975–2024. Latest point: 2024, 146 deaths.

Rate per 100,000 residents, 2000–2024

013272000200520102015202020242000: 22.92001: 22.62002: 23.72003: 26.62004: 25.62005: 242006: 24.42007: 18.42008: 15.12009: 16.22010: 17.22011: 13.52012: 15.92013: 162014: 162015: 15.72016: 13.42017: 14.82018: 14.82019: 11.52020: 15.92021: 16.52022: 15.12023: 15.22024: 15.8
Deaths per 100,000 residents in South Dakota and nationally, 2000–2024. Latest point: 2024, 15.8. this page United States

Year pages: 20242023202220212020201920182017201620152014201320122011201020092008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993199219911990198919881987198619851984198319821981198019791978197719761975

Compared with the nation

MeasureSouth DakotaUnited States
Deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2015–202414.911.8
Deaths per 100,000 residents, 202415.811.5
Deaths, 2015–20241,323389,190
Deaths per fatal crash1.11.1
Change vs previous ten years-7%+7%
Share of the national toll0.3%100%

Factors

Alcoholcrashes with a driver reported as drinking34.9%
Speedingcrashes with a speeding-related driver26.6%
Pedestriansshare of people killed7.7%
Motorcyclistsshare of people killed16.9%
Unrestrainedoccupant deaths with no restraint used65.8%
In darknesscrashes after dark36.4%
Rural roadscrashes on rural roads81.7%

tick marks the US share. Bars are shares of fatal crashes (alcohol, speeding, darkness, rural) or of people killed (pedestrians, motorcyclists, unrestrained occupants) over the ten-year window.

Counties ranked by rate

Deaths per 100,000 residents a year over 2015–2024. Small counties on through routes can rank high on few deaths; the deaths column gives the scale. Counties with fewer than 10 fatal crashes in the ten years show no factor shares.

#CountyResidentsDeaths 2015–2024Per 100k / yrDeaths 2024AlcoholSpeeding
1Jones County87413144.4017%8%
2Jackson County2,7373098.5323%23%
3Harding County1,3251077.31–230%20%
4Buffalo County1,8251471.6462%15%
5Hanson County3,4772058.21–219%38%
6Lyman County3,7212155.5529%29%
7Aurora County2,7521554.31–225%25%
8Oglala Lakota County13,3607553.9367%31%
9Hyde County1,215539.51–2——
10Haakon County1,834737.61–2——
11Fall River County7,3592535.7538%33%
12Corson County3,7471435.31–243%29%
13Custer County9,3303135.21–222%26%
14Hutchinson County7,4162534.0428%39%
15Sanborn County2,392833.60——
16Lawrence County28,8098030.31139%40%
17Edmunds County4,0271230.20——
18Bennett County3,2891029.51–2——
19Roberts County10,2833029.31–250%31%
20Campbell County1,342429.10——
21Charles Mix County9,3432729.0861%13%
22McCook County5,7711628.4636%14%
23Sully County1,468427.90——
24Faulk County2,136627.00——
25Miner County2,303626.60——
26Grant County7,6181824.41–225%13%
27Tripp County5,7171323.5064%55%
28Bon Homme County7,0711622.91–260%10%
29Turner County9,0871922.1028%17%
30Jerauld County1,689421.81–2——
31Moody County6,5291421.71–227%18%
32Walworth County5,2701120.5027%36%
33Mellette County1,834420.40——
34Gregory County4,110819.50——
35Deuel County4,335818.53——
36Kingsbury County5,261917.71–2——
37Marshall County4,395817.40——
38Butte County10,8911817.2335%12%
39Potter County2,402417.10——
40Yankton County23,5093816.5441%28%
41Stanley County3,015516.51–2——
42Dewey County5,322916.31–2——
43Hand County3,097515.70——
44Meade County30,9184314.7736%19%
45Douglas County2,849413.90——
46Clark County3,974513.20——
47Hamlin County6,596812.90——
48Pennington County115,97914112.61230%26%
49Spink County6,108812.61–2——
50McPherson County2,307312.60——
51Beadle County19,4592211.7450%22%
52Brule County5,261611.41–2——
53Union County17,4021811.11–222%17%
54Day County5,408611.00——
55Codington County29,2783110.9533%43%
56Lincoln County75,244568.8826%36%
57Lake County11,006108.4030%20%
58Clay County15,245128.21–233%0%
59Ziebach County2,41827.71–2——
60Minnehaha County208,6391497.61631%24%
61Perkins County2,83226.90——
62Brown County37,495266.8325%17%
63Brookings County36,359246.81–223%18%
64Davison County19,907136.5062%39%
65Hughes County17,526116.21–246%46%
66Todd County9,17244.10——

Routes with the most fatal crashes

#RouteTypeFatal crashesDeathsAlcoholSpeeding
1Interstate 90Interstate11212721%26%
2US Route 18US highway536545%28%
3Interstate 29Interstate515314%24%
4US Route 14US highway343721%29%
5US Route 212US highway293131%21%
6US Route 12US highway263223%12%
7State Route 44State highway263231%23%
8US Route 16US highway242513%25%
9State Route 34State highway242821%17%

Signed Interstate, US and state routes with at least 20 fatal crashes in 2015–2024; 9 routes in South Dakota qualify. Local streets and county roads are not listed. Long routes carry more traffic and so more crashes; this is a count, not a rate.

Time of day and day of week

12am3am6am9am12pm3pm6pm9pm
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat

Fatal crashes in South Dakota by weekday and hour, 2015–2024: darker cells are busier. 1,166 crashes with a known hour and weekday.

By weekday

Saturday20%
Friday17%
Sunday14%
Wednesday13%
Tuesday13%
Thursday12%
Monday11%

Light condition

Daylight57%
Dark, not lighted31%
Dark, lighted6%
Dusk5%
Dawn2%
Dark, lighting unknown0%

Road type

Other principal arterial25%
Major collector22%
Minor arterial19%
Interstate15%
Local13%
Other freeways and expressways3%
Minor collector2%

FHWA functional classes (FARS FUNC_SYS), share of fatal crashes with a reported class; tick marks the national share. What the classes mean.

Questions and answers

How many people died in crashes in South Dakota in 2024?

146 people in 134 fatal crashes, per NHTSA's FARS annual file. Over 2015–2024 the total is 1,323.

How does South Dakota compare with the national rate?

14.9 deaths per 100,000 residents a year over 2015–2024, against 11.8 nationally; in 2024 alone, 15.8 against 11.5.

Which counties in South Dakota have the most fatal crashes?

By deaths over 2015–2024: Minnehaha County (149), Pennington County (141) and Lawrence County (80). The county table ranks by rate per 100,000 residents instead, which is a fairer comparison across sizes.

What share of fatal crashes in South Dakota involved alcohol or speeding?

34.9% of fatal crashes in 2015–2024 had a driver reported as drinking (US: 26.3%) and 26.6% had a speeding-related driver (US: 27.2%).

Which routes in South Dakota have the most fatal crashes?

Interstate 90 (112 fatal crashes, 2015–2024), US Route 18 (53 fatal crashes, 2015–2024) and Interstate 29 (51 fatal crashes, 2015–2024). Route pages exist for signed routes with at least 20 fatal crashes in the ten years.

Provenance

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System annual files 1975–2024; US Census Bureau Population Estimates Program. Data through 31 Dec 2024; generated 30 Sep 2026. See methodology, sources and corrections.