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GeraSure / US Road Fatality Risk / South Dakota

South Dakota: Road Fatality Risk

Gera US Road Fatality Index: 5.5/10 (Moderate) · Rank: #20 of 51 · 15.594/100k population · 1.369/100M VMT. Risk-context signals only.

Data: FARS 2021-2023 / Census PEP 2023 / FHWA VM-2 2023· NHTSA FARS + Census PEP + FHWA VM-2 · US public domain · FIPS 46

What is the road fatality rate for South Dakota?

South Dakota has a Gera US Road Fatality Index (GUSRFI) of 5.5/10 (Moderate), ranking 20 of 51 states. Based on NHTSA FARS 2021-2023: 15.594 road fatalities per 100,000 population (3yr avg) — 2.90/100k above the US average of 12.695/100k. Per-VMT rate: 1.369 per 100M miles (FHWA 2023).

Source:NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) — annual national CSV ZIPs 2021-2023·as of FARS 2021-2023 / Census PEP 2023 / FHWA VM-2 2023updated annually (last: )
Gera US Road Fatality Index5.5 / 10Moderate road fatality risk — South Dakota (NHTSA FARS 2021-2023). Not a road-safety guarantee or premium quote.How this index is calculated

GUSRFI components — South Dakota (FARS 2021-2023 / Census PEP 2023 / FHWA VM-2 2023)

Gera GUSRFI components — South Dakota (NHTSA FARS 2021-2023 + Census PEP + FHWA VM-2)
MetricValueSourceNotes
Road fatalities 2021148NHTSA FARS 2021Fatal crashes on public roads
Road fatalities 2022137NHTSA FARS 2022
Road fatalities 2023140NHTSA FARS 2023
3yr average annual fatalities141.7Gera calculation(2021+2022+2023)/3
3yr average population908,495Census PEP 2021-2023
Fatalities per 100k population15.594Gera formulaUS avg: 12.695
Annual VMT (millions, 2023)10,344.667FHWA VM-2 2023Vehicle-miles traveled
Fatalities per 100M VMT1.369Gera formulaavg_fatals/VMT×100
GUSRFI (0-10)5.5Gera formulaModerate — rank #20

South Dakota Road Fatality Risk Explorer

Explore GUSRFI components and compare against the US average.

GUSRFI

5.5 / 10

Moderate

South Dakota

South Dakota has a Moderate road fatality index (15.6/100k). Near the US average of 12.7/100k.

Source: NHTSA FARS 2021-2023 + Census PEP 2023 + FHWA VM-2 2023. Risk-context index only.

Risk signal components

Fatalities per 100,000 population (3yr avg 2021-2023)15.59

US avg: 12.7/100k · Source: NHTSA FARS + Census PEP

Fatalities per 100 million VMT (3yr avg fatals / FHWA 2023 VMT)1.37

VMT = vehicle-miles traveled · Source: FHWA Highway Statistics VM-2 2023

Avg annual fatals

142

2021-2023

Per 100k pop

15.59

3yr avg

Per 100M VMT

1.37

FHWA 2023

Get road-risk insurance tools for South Dakota

GeraSure is building state-level auto-insurance comparison tools informed by GUSRFI. Join the waitlist for South Dakota — moderate road fatality risk context (15.594/100k, Moderate).

South Dakota road fatality rate: frequently asked questions

What is South Dakota's GUSRFI road fatality index?
South Dakota has a Gera US Road Fatality Index (GUSRFI) of 5.5/10 (Moderate), ranking 20 of 51 US states. The index is based on a 3-year average (2021-2023) of 142 annual road fatalities per 0.91M population = 15.594 per 100k. Source: NHTSA FARS + Census PEP.
How does South Dakota compare to the US average for road fatalities?
South Dakota (15.594/100k) is 2.90/100k above the US average of 12.695/100k (3-year avg 2021-2023). The highest-risk state is Mississippi (24.943/100k, GUSRFI 9.9/10); the lowest is Massachusetts (5.673/100k, GUSRFI 0/10).
How many road fatalities occurred in South Dakota in 2023?
NHTSA FARS recorded 140 road fatalities in South Dakota in 2023. In 2022 there were 137, and in 2021 there were 148 — giving a 3-year average of 142 per year. These figures include all fatal crashes on public roads in South Dakota.
What is the South Dakota road fatality rate per vehicle-mile traveled?
South Dakota has 1.369 road fatalities per 100 million vehicle-miles traveled (3-year avg fatals / FHWA 2023 VMT of 10,344.667M miles). This measures fatality risk adjusted for driving intensity — states with more miles driven are not necessarily the same as states with higher per-capita risk.

States near South Dakota in GUSRFI ranking

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Contains public sector information published by NHTSA / US Census Bureau / FHWA and licensed under the US Government public domain. Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) — annual national CSV ZIPs 2021-2023 (FARS 2021-2023 / Census PEP 2023 / FHWA VM-2 2023, published 2024-2025).

Full GUSRFI formula and verification: Gera US Road Fatality Index methodology.