Fatal crashes in South Dakota
In 2024, 146 people died in 134 fatal crashes on South Dakota roads, 4.3% more than in 2023. That is 0.4% of all road deaths in the United States.
South Dakota ranks 42nd of 51 by road deaths in 2024.
Road deaths in South Dakota since 1975
Deaths within 30 days of a crash on a public road, as NHTSA counts them. 2024 is the latest year NHTSA has published; the 2024 figures are from the Annual Report File and may be revised when NHTSA releases the final file. The 2025 file is expected in spring 2027.
The deadliest roads in South Dakota
I-90 had the most fatal crashes of any numbered road in South Dakota from 2015 to 2024: 107, with 122 deaths. Interstate, US and state routes ranked by fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024; ramps and frontage roads are left out (8 crashes). Roads with 15 or more fatal crashes in 2022 to 2024 have their own page.
| Road | Fatal crashes | Deaths | 2022 to 2024 | Counties with the most | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I-90 | 107 | 122 | 42 | Pennington, Minnehaha, Meade |
| 2 | US 18 | 53 | 65 | 19 | Shannon, Fall River, Lincoln |
| 3 | I-29 | 49 | 51 | 17 | Union, Minnehaha, Lincoln |
| 4 | US 14 | 34 | 37 | 15 | Lawrence, Brookings, Beadle |
| 5 | US 212 | 29 | 31 | 5 | Codington, Dewey, Butte |
| 6 | State Highway 44 | 27 | 33 | 7 | Pennington, Hutchinson, Jackson |
| 7 | US 12 | 26 | 32 | 6 | Edmunds, Corson, Brown |
| 8 | State Highway 34 | 24 | 28 | 9 | Meade, Haakon, Lawrence |
| 9 | US 16 | 24 | 25 | 6 | Pennington, Custer |
| 10 | State Highway 37 | 20 | 25 | 8 | Hutchinson, Brown, Bon Homme |
| 11 | State Highway 79 | 19 | 21 | 5 | Meade, Custer, Pennington |
| 12 | State Highway 50 | 17 | 26 | 5 | Yankton, Bon Homme, Clay |
| 13 | US 14A | 17 | 18 | 0 | Lawrence, Brookings |
| 14 | US 385 | 16 | 17 | 5 | Pennington, Lawrence, Custer |
| 15 | State Highway 42 | 15 | 19 | 5 | Minnehaha, Mccook, Hanson |
| 16 | US 81 | 15 | 19 | 3 | Yankton, Hamlin, Hutchinson |
| 17 | US 85 | 15 | 15 | 3 | Lawrence, Harding, Butte |
| 18 | State Highway 20 | 13 | 14 | 6 | Codington, Spink, Grant |
| 19 | State Highway 19 | 12 | 12 | 3 | Turner, Clay, Minnehaha |
| 20 | State Highway 46 | 11 | 15 | 8 | Charles Mix, Bon Homme, Union |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
The deadliest counties in South Dakota
Pennington County had the most fatal crashes in South Dakota from 2015 to 2024: 135, with 141 deaths. 67 counties in South Dakota recorded a fatal crash in those years; the 20 with the most are listed.
| County | 2024 | 2015 to 2024 | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennington | 11 | 135 | 141 |
| 2 | Minnehaha | 14 | 133 | 149 |
| 3 | Lawrence | 10 | 75 | 80 |
| 4 | Lincoln | 7 | 50 | 56 |
| 5 | Shannon | 0 | 45 | 63 |
| 6 | Meade | 7 | 42 | 43 |
| 7 | Codington | 5 | 30 | 31 |
| 8 | Yankton | 4 | 29 | 38 |
| 9 | Custer | 2 | 27 | 31 |
| 10 | Roberts | 2 | 26 | 30 |
| 11 | Brown | 2 | 24 | 26 |
| 12 | Charles Mix | 8 | 23 | 27 |
| 13 | Jackson | 3 | 22 | 30 |
| 14 | Brookings | 2 | 22 | 24 |
| 15 | Fall River | 4 | 21 | 25 |
| 16 | Hutchinson | 3 | 18 | 25 |
| 17 | Beadle | 4 | 18 | 22 |
| 18 | Turner | 0 | 18 | 19 |
| 19 | Union | 2 | 18 | 18 |
| 20 | Lyman | 4 | 17 | 21 |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
When fatal crashes happen in South Dakota
The heaviest slot is Friday, noon to 4 pm, with 58 fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024. The worst hour is 5 pm to 6 pm; the worst month is August.
| Midnight to 4 | 4 to 8 am | 8 to noon | Noon to 4 | 4 to 8 pm | 8 to midnight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 2.8 percent, 33 fatal crashes | 1.3 percent, 15 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 17 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 35 fatal crashes | 3.3 percent, 38 fatal crashes | 2.3 percent, 27 fatal crashes |
| Mon | 0.8 percent, 9 fatal crashes | 1.5 percent, 17 fatal crashes | 2.3 percent, 27 fatal crashes | 2.7 percent, 32 fatal crashes | 2.2 percent, 26 fatal crashes | 1.7 percent, 20 fatal crashes |
| Tue | 0.6 percent, 7 fatal crashes | 1.9 percent, 22 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 24 fatal crashes | 3.2 percent, 37 fatal crashes | 3.3 percent, 38 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 23 fatal crashes |
| Wed | 1.5 percent, 17 fatal crashes | 1.0 percent, 12 fatal crashes | 2.0 percent, 23 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 25 fatal crashes | 3.7 percent, 43 fatal crashes | 2.6 percent, 30 fatal crashes |
| Thu | 0.8 percent, 9 fatal crashes | 0.8 percent, 9 fatal crashes | 3.1 percent, 36 fatal crashes | 2.3 percent, 27 fatal crashes | 3.3 percent, 39 fatal crashes | 2.1 percent, 24 fatal crashes |
| Fri | 0.9 percent, 10 fatal crashes | 1.8 percent, 21 fatal crashes | 2.5 percent, 29 fatal crashes | 5.0 percent, 58 fatal crashes | 4.2 percent, 49 fatal crashes | 2.7 percent, 31 fatal crashes |
| Sat | 3.5 percent, 41 fatal crashes | 2.5 percent, 29 fatal crashes | 3.0 percent, 35 fatal crashes | 3.3 percent, 39 fatal crashes | 3.9 percent, 45 fatal crashes | 3.3 percent, 38 fatal crashes |
By hour
By month
- Jan4.5%
- Feb5.2%
- Mar6.2%
- Apr7.0%
- May7.7%
- Jun7.8%
- Jul11.0%
- Aug14.8%
- Sep9.8%
- Oct10.4%
- Nov8.9%
- Dec6.8%
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Where fatal crashes happen in South Dakota: rural or urban, intersection, dark or daylight
Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024, against the share across the United States.
| South Dakota | US | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| On rural roads | 82% | 43% | above the US share |
| At or near an intersection | 19% | 25% | below the US share |
| In daylight | 57% | 46% | above the US share |
| In the dark, road lit | 5.6% | 21% | below the US share |
| In the dark, road unlit | 31% | 28% | above the US share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Who died on South Dakota roads in 2024
| Road user | Deaths | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants | 100 | 69% |
| Motorcyclists | 33 | 23% |
| Pedestrians | 9 | 6.2% |
| Cyclists | 4 | 2.7% |
| Others (on personal conveyances, in parked vehicles, in buildings) | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
How fatal crashes happen in South Dakota: alcohol, speeding, seat belts, hit-and-run
Shares of fatal crashes from 2015 to 2024 with the factor recorded, against the US share. "A drinking driver" is NHTSA's drinking-driver flag (police-reported drinking or any positive alcohol test), not its "alcohol-impaired" figure. "Unbelted" is the share of passenger-vehicle occupants killed whose belt use is known (826 in South Dakota).
| South Dakota | US | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| A drinking driver | 35% | 26% | above the US share |
| Speeding | 27% | 27% | about the same as the US share |
| Occupants killed unbelted | 66% | 49% | above the US share |
| Hit-and-run | 1.8% | 6.5% | below the US share |
| A motorcycle involved | 19% | 16% | above the US share |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
What the first harmful event was
What each fatal crash first hit, 2015 to 2024.
| First harmful event | Fatal crashes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Collision with another vehicle | 441 | 38% |
| Rollover | 320 | 27% |
| Fixed object (tree, pole, barrier, ditch) | 244 | 21% |
| Pedestrian | 94 | 8.0% |
| Other | 61 | 5.2% |
| Cyclist | 9 | 0.8% |
| Parked vehicle | 5 | 0.4% |
| Not reported | 0 | 0.0% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Vehicles in fatal crashes in South Dakota
Every vehicle in a fatal crash from 2015 to 2024, by body type (1,634 vehicles).
| Type | Vehicles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cars | 428 | 26% |
| Pickups | 364 | 22% |
| SUVs | 306 | 19% |
| Motorcycles | 244 | 15% |
| Truck-tractors | 122 | 7.5% |
| Other trucks | 85 | 5.2% |
| Vans | 81 | 5.0% |
| Buses | 4 | 0.2% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2024 Annual Report File (released April 2026, subject to revision). How we count
Road pages for South Dakota
Every numbered road in South Dakota with 15 or more fatal crashes from 2022 to 2024, each with its crashes by year, county, hour and weekday.
Where the South Dakota numbers come from
Every figure on this page is counted from NHTSA's Fatality Analysis Reporting System, the federal census of fatal crashes on US public roads, 2024 Annual Report File. A fatal crash is one in which someone died within 30 days. Road names are normalised ("I35 FRONTAGE" and "I-35" are the same road; frontage roads and ramps are left out of road counts). Fields NHTSA coded as unknown show as "Not reported"; a share is only given over 20 crashes, otherwise "Not enough data". The full method.