South Dakota truck accident statistics (2020-2024)

Truck accident deaths in South Dakota by year

Annual truck accident deaths were 27 in 2020, 20 in 2021, 29 in 2022, 27 in 2023 and 32 in 2024. Their respective shares of all traffic deaths were 19.1%, 13.5%, 21.2%, 19.3% and 21.9%. The highest death count occurred in 2024; the lowest occurred in 2021. Counts were equal in 2020 and 2023. The 2024 count was 5 deaths higher than 2020.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

South Dakota's shares of national large-truck deaths were 0.5%, 0.3%, 0.5%, 0.5% and 0.6% across those years, respectively. Across the full period, the state's 135 truck accident deaths represented 0.5% of the national total of 27,553 deaths.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and can be revised when NHTSA publishes the final file.

Who died in South Dakota truck accidents

People in other vehicles accounted for 97 deaths, or 71.9%, the largest person category. People in the large truck accounted for 29 deaths, or 21.5%. The row "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" recorded 9 deaths, or 6.7%, in South Dakota truck accidents.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

That quoted label denotes the FARS nonoccupant grouping, including pedestrians, pedalcyclists and other or unknown nonoccupants. The other category can include occupants of parked motor vehicles. It therefore does not apply a literal outside-the-vehicle test to every person counted within that row.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The trucks involved

Fatal crashes in South Dakota involved 127 large trucks during 2020 through 2024. Truck-tractors accounted for 72 trucks, or 56.7%. The single-unit and other large trucks category contained 55 trucks. These figures count involved vehicles, rather than truck accident deaths or fatal crashes, and a crash can involve multiple large trucks.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

The weight-rating category for large trucks over 26,000 pounds gross vehicle weight rating recorded 88 trucks, representing 69.3% of the large trucks counted. Separately, 4 large trucks were recorded as jackknifed, and 4 large trucks were recorded as carrying hazardous materials. Each measure describes trucks involved in fatal crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

Counts are trucks, not crashes. One crash can involve more than one large truck.

Interstates and crash types

Interstate truck accident deaths totaled 30 in South Dakota during 2020 through 2024, accounting for 22.2% of the state's large-truck crash deaths. The listed I-90 row records 22 deaths in large-truck crashes and 71 deaths from all traffic crashes on that route. Those columns measure different death totals.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The route figures use the supplied route-coded subset, rather than a complete road network. Interstate identification uses the interstate route classification and a parseable I-route number. Separately, work-zone truck accident deaths numbered 5; that figure counts people killed.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Counties with the most truck accident deaths

Among the listed counties, Minnehaha County had the highest truck accident death count, 14, with an average annual rate of 1.4 per 100,000 residents. Hutchinson County recorded 7 deaths and a rate of 18.9. Codington County and Yankton County each recorded 6 deaths, with rates of 4.2 and 5.1, respectively.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Aurora County recorded 3 deaths and the highest listed rate, 21.8. Pennington County recorded 4 deaths and the lowest listed rate, 0.7. These rows are a county subset; rates with few deaths are sensitive to each death.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Up to 15 counties with the most deaths in the period, largest first. Rates for counties with few deaths change sharply with each death.

How South Dakota compares with the national rate

South Dakota's average annual truck accident death rate was 3.0 per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024, higher than the national rate of 1.6. The death counts underlying those rates were 135 for South Dakota and 27,553 for the United States.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

The denominator is the sum of annual Census Bureau population estimates across the period. Dividing deaths by that sum and multiplying by 100,000 produces the average annual rate. South Dakota's separately reported 2024 population estimate of 927,110 is not the denominator. These truck accident rates include no adjustment for miles driven or visitors.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Manner of collision and setting

Manner of collision describes the first harmful event: angle collisions recorded 41 deaths. "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" recorded 26; this means no collision with a motor vehicle in transport, which can include a vehicle stopped in traffic.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Daytime truck accident deaths numbered 108; nighttime deaths numbered 27. Urban deaths numbered 10, and rural deaths numbered 125. Separately, crash configuration recorded 20 deaths in single-vehicle crashes, 102 in two-vehicle crashes and 13 in crashes involving three or more vehicles. Configuration and collision manner are distinct classifications.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Truck occupant deaths by crash configuration

Among people in the large truck who died in South Dakota, 14 died in single-vehicle crashes and 15 died in multiple-vehicle crashes during 2020 through 2024. This truck accident subset counts truck occupants, separately from the figures covering everyone killed in crashes involving large trucks.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

About these figures

South Dakota's FARS records cover fatal traffic crashes on trafficways customarily open to the public, with death within 30 days. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded. State and county assignments follow crash location, not residence. Readers searching for a truck accident lawyer should keep those geographic groupings in mind.^[9][6][7][8]

The 2020 through 2023 records are Final Files; 2024 uses the revisable Annual Report File. Rates use summed annual Census estimates, Vintage 2025, multiplied into a per 100,000 measure. The separate July 1, 2024 estimate is not the denominator; mileage and visitors receive no adjustment.^[9][6][7][8]

See also

• I-90 truck accidents in South Dakota (2020-2024)

On related publications

• South Dakota car accident statistics (2020-2024) (caraccidentlawyers.wiki)