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1981

South Dakota · year

South Dakota in 1981

Deaths 177Fatal crashes 162Per 100,000 —US deaths 49,301

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. Final FARS file for 1981.

In 1981, 177 people died in 162 fatal crashes in South Dakota.

The death toll fell 22% from 228 in 1980 to 177 in 1981.

South Dakota accounted for 0.4% of the 49,301 crash deaths recorded nationally that year.

58% of the state's fatal crashes that year had at least one driver reported as drinking.

33% of the crashes happened between 6pm to midnight; Saturday was the most common day.

← 198019811982 →All years

Compared with 1980 and the nation

MeasureSouth Dakota 1981South Dakota 1980United States 1981
Deaths17722849,301
Fatal crashes16218844,000
Deaths per 100,000 residents———
Crashes with a drinking driver58%51%41%

Counties in 1981

Every county with a fatal crash in 1981, by deaths. Counts under three are shown as "1–2" (small-count rule); the per-100,000 column is blank for them. 60 counties listed.

CountyFatal crashesDeathsPer 100,000Deaths 2015–2024
Lawrence County131448.680
Minnehaha County10104.8149
Pennington County8108.6141
Oglala Lakota County71074.975
Custer County6664.331
Buffalo County55274.014
Meade County4516.243
Brule County3595.06
Butte County4436.718
Davison County4420.113
Dewey County4475.29
Edmunds County4499.312
Haakon County44218.17
Jackson County44146.130
Yankton County4417.038
Corson County34106.814
Grant County3452.518
Hand County34129.25
Hutchinson County3453.925
Bennett County3391.210
Brown County338.026
Charles Mix County3332.127
Hanson County3386.320
Perkins County33105.92
Roberts County3329.230
Beadle County1–21–2—22
Bon Homme County1–21–2—16
Campbell County1–21–2—4
Clark County1–21–2—5
Codington County1–21–2—31
Day County1–21–2—6
Hughes County1–21–2—11
Lake County1–21–2—10
Marshall County1–21–2—8
Moody County1–21–2—14
Todd County1–21–2—4
Tripp County1–21–2—13
Union County1–21–2—18
Ziebach County1–21–2—2
Aurora County1–21–2—15
Brookings County1–21–2—24
Clay County1–21–2—12
Deuel County1–21–2—8
Douglas County1–21–2—4
Fall River County1–21–2—25
Faulk County1–21–2—6
Gregory County1–21–2—8
Hamlin County1–21–2—8
Harding County1–21–2—10
Jones County1–21–2—13
Kingsbury County1–21–2—9
Lincoln County1–21–2—56
Lyman County1–21–2—21
McCook County1–21–2—16
Mellette County1–21–2—4
Miner County1–21–2—6
Spink County1–21–2—8
Stanley County1–21–2—5
Sully County1–21–2—4
Turner County1–21–2—19

Per 100,000 uses the 2024 population estimate for every year, so early-year rates are understated where a county has grown.

Hour of day

12am5%
1am4.4%
2am7.5%
3am5%
4am2.5%
5am2.5%
6am0.6%
7am1.9%
8am1.9%
9am1.3%
10am5.7%
11am3.1%
12pm2.5%
1pm4.4%
2pm3.8%
3pm5%
4pm6.3%
5pm3.8%
6pm7.5%
7pm5%
8pm5.7%
9pm2.5%
10pm6.9%
11pm5%

Weekday

Sunday20%
Monday12%
Tuesday9%
Wednesday8%
Thursday15%
Friday11%
Saturday25%

Questions and answers

How many people died in crashes in South Dakota in 1981?

177 people in 162 fatal crashes, according to NHTSA's FARS 1981 file.

Which county in South Dakota had the most crash deaths in 1981?

Lawrence County with 14 deaths in 13 fatal crashes. The table on this page lists every county with a fatal crash that year.

How did 1981 compare with 1980 in South Dakota?

177 deaths against 228 in 1980 (+-22%). Nationally the 1981 total was 49,301.

Provenance

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System, 1981 national file (accident table); US Census Bureau population estimates (no county estimates before 2000 are used, so no rate is shown for this year). Data through 31 Dec 2024; generated 30 Sep 2026.