South Dakota fatal crashes in 2012
FARS records 133 deaths in 118 fatal crashes in South Dakota in 2012.
In 2011 it records 111 deaths in 101 fatal crashes.
In 2012 the rate is 15.9 deaths for each 100,000 residents in South Dakota and 10.8 in the United States.
By deaths for each 100,000 residents in 2012, South Dakota was number 12 of 51, the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Deaths in South Dakota rose by 19.8% from 2011 to 2012. In the United States they rose by 4.0%.
In 2012, a driver was recorded as drinking in 38.1% of fatal crashes in South Dakota and 30.7% in the United States.
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 site reads the years before 2015 from one fixed copy. It does not track later revisions of these years. Release dates
2012 beside 2011
| Figure | South Dakota, 2012 | South Dakota, 2011 | United States, 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Deaths | 133 | 111 | 33,782 |
| Fatal crashes | 118 | 101 | 31,006 |
| Deaths for each 100,000 residents | 15.9 | 13.5 | 10.8 |
| Fatal crashes with a driver recorded as drinking | 45 | 30 | 9,527 |
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. NHTSA's definitions
For the years before 2015 the count is from the FARS element DRUNK_DR. It counts a blood alcohol concentration of .01 g/dL or more. From 2015 the count is from DR_DRINK and counts .001 g/dL or more.
Counties in 2012
Note: a county with no fatal crash in 2012 is not in the table. A count of 1 or 2 is written "1 or 2".
Time of day and weekday
| Time of day | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Midnight to 6 a.m. | 15 | 12.7% |
| 6 a.m. to noon | 24 | 20.3% |
| Noon to 6 p.m. | 52 | 44.1% |
| 6 p.m. to midnight | 27 | 22.9% |
| Weekday | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | 18 | 15.3% |
| Monday | 9 | 7.6% |
| Tuesday | 13 | 11.0% |
| Wednesday | 19 | 16.1% |
| Thursday | 18 | 15.3% |
| Friday | 17 | 14.4% |
| Saturday | 24 | 20.3% |
Note: the tables have the fatal crashes with a known hour or weekday.
Cite this page
Fatal Roads. South Dakota fatal crashes in 2012. https://fatalroads.com/state/south-dakota/2012/. 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 file of 2012. This site reads the years before 2015 from one fixed copy. It does not track later revisions of these years. Residents: Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, vintage 2025. Data to .
How the figures are made. Data sources and licences. Corrections.
Questions
Which file does the 2012 page use?
This site reads the years before 2015 from one fixed copy. It does not track later revisions of these years.
What part of the deaths in the United States in 2012 was in South Dakota?
South Dakota had 133 of the 33,782 deaths in the United States in 2012. That is 0.4 percent.
In how many counties of South Dakota did FARS record a fatal crash in 2012?
FARS records one or more fatal crashes in 46 counties of South Dakota in 2012.
How many fatal crashes in South Dakota in 2012 had a driver recorded as drinking?
FARS records a driver as drinking in 45 of 118 fatal crashes in 2012.