Road deaths in South Dakota, 2023
Deaths
140
Per 100,000 residents
15.25
Rank
14 of 51
South Dakota recorded 140 road deaths in 128 fatal crashes during 2023. At 15.25 deaths per 100,000 residents it sits 25% above the national rate of 12.18, ranking 14 of 51 — among the more dangerous half. Deaths rose 2.2% from 2022.
Where the deaths happened
Counties with the most road deaths in 2023. These are raw counts — populous counties will rank high simply because more people drive there.
| County | Deaths | Share of state |
|---|---|---|
| Minnehaha | 18 | 12.9% |
| Lawrence | 12 | 8.6% |
| Lincoln | 11 | 7.9% |
| Pennington | 10 | 7.1% |
| Oglala | 9 | 6.4% |
| Meade | 5 | 3.6% |
| Codington | 4 | 2.9% |
| Brookings | 4 | 2.9% |
| Lyman | 4 | 2.9% |
| Jackson | 4 | 2.9% |
Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2023 national file. Population: US Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 state population estimates.How these numbers are built →