Fatal Crashes in South Dakota
821 fatal crashes and 927 fatalities from 2017-2023. Data from NHTSA FARS.
Crashes by year
| Year | Crashes | Fatalities | Drunk driver |
|---|
| 2017 | 111 | 129 | 39 |
| 2018 | 110 | 130 | 39 |
| 2019 | 88 | 102 | 28 |
| 2020 | 132 | 141 | 50 |
| 2021 | 131 | 148 | 48 |
| 2022 | 121 | 137 | 34 |
| 2023 | 128 | 140 | 39 |
Worst counties in South Dakota
The top counties by fatal crash count. Need crash history at a specific location within these counties? Our intersection report shows every fatal crash within any radius, with vehicle details, person demographics, and a map.
| County | Crashes | Fatalities |
|---|
| MINNEHAHA (99) | 100 | 114 |
| PENNINGTON (103) | 99 | 103 |
| LAWRENCE (81) | 48 | 51 |
| LINCOLN (83) | 36 | 41 |
| SHANNON (113) | 31 | 43 |
| MEADE (93) | 26 | 26 |
| CODINGTON (29) | 21 | 22 |
| BROWN (13) | 20 | 21 |
| YANKTON (135) | 19 | 24 |
| CUSTER (33) | 19 | 22 |
| ROBERTS (109) | 16 | 19 |
| FALL RIVER (47) | 16 | 19 |
| JACKSON (71) | 15 | 21 |
| BROOKINGS (11) | 15 | 16 |
| TURNER (125) | 15 | 16 |
Worst cities in South Dakota
Fatal crashes by city. Attorneys investigating a crash in any of these cities can get a full crash history report for the specific intersection - including prior crashes, time-of-day patterns, and impairment data.
| City | Crashes | Fatalities |
|---|
| SIOUX FALLS | 62 | 67 |
| RAPID CITY | 42 | 43 |
| SPEARFISH | 8 | 8 |
| WATERTOWN | 6 | 6 |
| BRANDON | 3 | 3 |
| STURGIS | 3 | 3 |
| ABERDEEN | 3 | 3 |
| YANKTON | 3 | 3 |
| HURON | 2 | 3 |
| BELLE FOURCHE | 2 | 2 |
| WALL | 2 | 2 |
| EAGLE BUTTE | 2 | 2 |
| DEADWOOD | 2 | 2 |
| PIERRE | 2 | 2 |
| PINE RIDGE | 2 | 2 |
When crashes happen
By month
| Month | Crashes |
|---|
| January | 40 |
| February | 44 |
| March | 52 |
| April | 51 |
| May | 66 |
| June | 62 |
| July | 83 |
| August | 123 |
| September | 84 |
| October | 89 |
| November | 70 |
| December | 57 |
Most dangerous hours
Peak hours matter for fleet safety teams scheduling routes and for attorneys establishing time-of-day patterns at a crash location.
| Hour | Crashes |
|---|
| 17:00 | 53 |
| 20:00 | 52 |
| 13:00 | 52 |
| 11:00 | 47 |
| 19:00 | 45 |
| 14:00 | 44 |
| 16:00 | 44 |
| 15:00 | 44 |
| 18:00 | 41 |
| 10:00 | 40 |
Vehicles involved in fatal crashes
Top vehicle makes in South Dakota fatal crashes. Insurance actuaries use vehicle-level crash data for risk scoring - our API lets you query by make, model, body type, and rollover status.
| Make | Vehicles involved |
|---|
| Chevrolet | 221 |
| Ford | 173 |
| Harley-Davidson | 108 |
| Dodge | 88 |
| GMC | 66 |
| Toyota | 55 |
| Other Make | 46 |
| Honda | 42 |
| Peterbilt | 40 |
| Chrysler | 29 |
Conditions
Weather
| Weather | Crashes |
|---|
| Clear | 600 |
| Cloudy | 122 |
| Rain | 39 |
| Snow | 25 |
| Fog, Smog, Smoke | 10 |
| Blowing Snow | 9 |
| Not Reported | 6 |
| Severe Crosswinds | 4 |
Collision type
| Type | Crashes |
|---|
| Single vehicle / pedestrian / object | 509 |
| Angle | 153 |
| Front-to-Front | 83 |
| Front-to-Rear | 49 |
| Sideswipe - Opposite Direction | 14 |
| Sideswipe - Same Direction | 11 |
| Other | 2 |
Need crash data for a specific location in South Dakota?
Our intersection report shows every fatal crash within any radius of a GPS coordinate - with a map, event sequence, contributing factors, vehicle and person details. Used by attorneys for discovery and insurance teams for risk assessment.
For programmatic access to all South Dakota crash data, see the API guide. $19/mo for full access.
Data source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2017-2023. Updated annually.
View all states.