South Dakota Crash Hot Spots: The Most Dangerous Roads and Intersections

Where South Dakota Traffic Deaths Happen

South Dakota’s preliminary count shows 123 people died on its roads in 2025, the state Department of Public Safety says, down from 146 in 2024 and the fewest in five years. One wrinkle: DPS’s 2025 announcement put the drop at 25 deaths, which works from a 2024 count of 148, while its final 2024 Facts Book lists 146. Most of those deaths happen out in the country, not in town. In 2024, rural U.S. and state highways and rural county roads together accounted for 97 deaths, while interstates accounted for 22 and city streets for 23.

Minnehaha County, home to most of Sioux Falls, had the most deaths of any county in 2024 with 16, followed by Pennington with 12 and Lawrence with 11. SDDOT’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan puts lane departures first among its nine emphasis areas, ahead of unbelted occupants, impaired driving and intersections, and aims for 100 or fewer deaths a year by 2029.

South Dakota’s Highest-Risk Corridors

South Dakota’s crash trouble runs along a handful of long highways and a few busy city corridors. Here’s what makes each one tricky, with figures from DPS, SDDOT or a local safety plan wherever they’ve been published.

1. Interstate 90 (I-90): Minnesota Line to Wyoming

I-90 crosses the whole state, from the Minnesota line past the north side of Sioux Falls, through Mitchell and Chamberlain, then west through Rapid City, Sturgis and Spearfish to Wyoming. It’s the road to the Badlands, the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore, so summer brings campers and drivers who don’t know the road. Most rural miles are posted at 80 mph, and crosswinds, ground blizzards and fog can turn that into a pileup fast.

Deer are the other big danger, especially around dusk. Animals were the first harmful event in 4,816 South Dakota crashes in 2024, more than a quarter of all crashes in the state, by DPS’s count. Spearfish’s proposed safety plan, reported by the Black Hills Pioneer, puts North Avenue, Colorado Boulevard, Jackson Boulevard and Highway 85 south of I-90 on its high injury network.

2. Interstate 29 (I-29): Iowa Line to North Dakota

I-29 runs up the eastern edge of the state from North Sioux City through Sioux Falls, Brookings and Watertown, then past Sisseton to the North Dakota line. Freezing drizzle, river fog and sudden whiteouts are the classic I-29 hazards, and construction merges add to it in summer.

Around Brookings, South Dakota State University traffic mixes with commuters and long-haul trucks, and the city logged 224 crashes and 2 deaths in 2024. In Sioux Falls, SDDOT finished a diverging diamond interchange at 41st Street in July 2024, and it calls 41st Street the most heavily traveled street in the state.

3. Interstate 229 and 41st Street: Sioux Falls

I-229 loops around the south and east sides of Sioux Falls, and it carries a lot of local traffic between short-spaced exits at 26th Street, 10th Street and Benson Road. KELOLAND, using DPS data, counted 9 fatal crashes and 10 deaths on I-229 from 2011 to 2020, with four of those fatal crashes on the stretch from the 26th Street exit north.

On the surface streets, 41st Street is the retail strip everyone uses, and its intersection with Louise Avenue near the mall is the one the city has picked for a rebuild. A 2012 corridor study called it a critical area for improvement because of high congestion and crash rates, and the city plans to widen 41st Street there with raised medians and new signals. Minnesota Avenue, the main north to south arterial through the middle of town, is another busy corridor, with driveways and turning traffic most of its length.

4. U.S. Highway 16 and Omaha Street: Rapid City

U.S. 16 is the main road from Rapid City toward Mount Rushmore, and its intersection with Catron Boulevard on the south side has the highest weighted crash rate in its part of town. SDDOT counted 45 crashes there from 2021 to 2025, including 16 injury crashes and 1 fatal crash, and its weighted crash rate is nearly 2.5 times the next highest intersection nearby.

Omaha Street, which is S.D. Highway 44, runs along the north side of downtown, and the city and SDDOT are paying for a signal timing study of the congested stretch from Campbell Street to Deadwood Avenue. City planners working on Rapid City’s Safe Streets plan point to angle crashes at intersections, signalized ones included, and are looking at higher speed arterials like Fifth Street, Haines Avenue, West Main Street and Sheridan Lake Road, KOTA reported. Every August the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally fills these roads and I-90 with motorcycles.

5. U.S. Route 12: Aberdeen to the Minnesota Line

U.S. 12 runs east from Aberdeen through Groton, Webster, Waubay and Milbank to Big Stone City and the Minnesota border. It’s long and straight between towns, with speed changes at each one. Few intersections have turn lanes or lighting, and passing zones are limited, so impatient passing leads to head-on crashes.

Farm equipment is a big part of the picture during planting and harvest, and fog and drifting snow can cut visibility to almost nothing in winter and early spring.

6. U.S. Highway 281: Nebraska Line to Aberdeen

U.S. 281 is the main north to south route through central South Dakota, running from the Nebraska line near Pickstown past Plankinton and Wolsey up to Aberdeen and on to North Dakota. Much of it is two-lane prairie road with unlit rural intersections and no turn lanes. Twilight is the hardest time to see a car pulling out of a gravel road or a deer stepping onto the shoulder.

Expect tractors, grain trucks and winter whiteouts. At Aberdeen it meets U.S. 12, where local and through traffic mix.

7. U.S. Route 81: Yankton to Watertown

U.S. 81 runs north from the Missouri River at Yankton, crosses I-90 near Salem and continues through Madison and Arlington to Watertown. Semis, commuters and farm traffic all share it. Narrow shoulders, changing speed zones and sharp farm road intersections cause rear-end and angle crashes, especially near Madison and Arlington.

Winter brings drifting snow and early morning black ice, and deer and pheasants cross often. In Watertown, U.S. 81 meets U.S. 212 a couple of miles west of I-29.

8. U.S. Highway 212: Watertown to the Wyoming Line

U.S. 212 crosses the northern half of the state from the Minnesota line through Watertown, Redfield, Faulkton, Gettysburg and Eagle Butte to Belle Fourche and on to the Wyoming line. Out west it’s mostly empty two-lane highway, where fatigue and run-off-road crashes are the worry. In Watertown it becomes a busy commercial strip on the way to I-29.

SDDOT’s corridor study of U.S. 212 from 19th Street SE to I-29 led it to plan a new signal at 26th Street SE and to switch the signal at 33rd Street SE to flashing ahead of removing it, the Watertown Public Opinion reported in April 2026.

More High-Crash Locations Across South Dakota

Statewide totals don’t tell you which corner to watch. These roads, intersections and cities have published figures from DPS, SDDOT, the Highway Patrol or local news citing agency data.

Several of these spots are getting work. SDDOT plans to turn U.S. 16 and Catron Boulevard into a single point interchange, with the first project running from 2026 or 2027 to 2028 depending on when it’s bid, and Sioux Falls expects to rebuild 41st Street and Louise Avenue in 2027 and 2028. In Sturgis, the city’s new Safe Streets plan found August has the most crashes and named Lazelle Street at Junction Avenue as a spot where many of the most severe crashes happen, with Sherman Street among its other priority locations, KOTA reported.

How to Stay Safe on South Dakota’s Most Dangerous Roads

You don’t have to avoid these roads, just drive them knowing where the trouble is.

For Drivers:

1. Buckle up every trip: In 2024, 53 of the 93 people killed inside vehicles in South Dakota weren’t wearing a seat belt.
2. Watch for deer at dusk and dawn: More than a quarter of the state’s crashes involve an animal. Slow down on I-90, U.S. 281 and U.S. 212 when light is low, and brake rather than swerve.
3. Drive for the weather, not the sign: 80 mph on I-90 or I-29 is a limit for dry pavement. Ease off in crosswinds, fog or blowing snow.
4. Pass with patience: On two-lanes like U.S. 12 and U.S. 81, wait for a clear passing zone and a long view.
5. Never drive impaired: DPS counted 58 alcohol-related deaths in 2024. Plan a ride before the night starts, especially during the Rally.

For Pedestrians:

1. Cross at signals: On wide streets like 41st Street, Minnesota Avenue or Omaha Street, crossing mid-block gives drivers almost no time to react.
2. Be visible at night: Wear light colors or a light, especially on unlit roads outside town.

For Cyclists:

1. Use trails where you can: Sioux Falls’ bike trail loop and Rapid City’s Leonard Swanson Pathway keep you off busy arterials.
2. Be easy to see: Run lights day and night, wear bright colors and use hand signals.
3. Watch rural shoulders: Many highway shoulders are narrow or rough, so ride predictably and watch for trucks.

General Tips:

1. Check road conditions first: SDDOT’s SD511 shows closures, crashes and winter driving conditions on I-90, I-29 and state highways.
2. Carry a winter kit: Blankets, water, a charger and a shovel matter when the next town is a long way off.
3. Plan around the Rally: In early August, expect heavy motorcycle traffic on I-90, U.S. 16 and the roads around Sturgis, and give bikes extra room.

What to Do If You’re Injured in a South Dakota Car Accident

A crash on I-90 or a two-lane highway can leave you hurt and far from help. What you do in the first hours and days matters.

1. Call 911. Get law enforcement and, if anyone is hurt, an ambulance to the scene. The officer’s crash report is what insurers rely on.
2. Get checked out. Concussions and internal injuries don’t always show up right away, so see a doctor the same day if you can.
3. Document the scene if it’s safe. Photograph the vehicles, plates, road and weather, get witnesses’ contact information, and exchange insurance details without admitting fault.
4. Be careful with adjusters. The other driver’s insurer may call quickly. You can politely decline a recorded statement until you have your crash report.
5. Keep everything. Medical records, bills, repair estimates, missed work and every letter or email from an insurer.

Which agency has your report depends on where you crashed. The South Dakota Highway Patrol works the state’s highways, city police and county sheriffs handle crashes in their own towns and counties, and reports those agencies file go into the DPS Office of Accident Records database, which sells copies. Our South Dakota crash report guide explains how to order a copy from each.

Don’t know which agency responded, or would rather skip the paperwork? We can get a copy of your report for you at no cost.

South Dakota Crash Hot Spot Questions

More South Dakota Crash Guides

County accident news: Minnehaha County · Lincoln County · Pennington County · Brookings County · Codington County · Meade County · Lawrence County · Brown County

Nearby states: Minnesota crash hot spots · Iowa crash hot spots · North Dakota crash hot spots · Wyoming crash hot spots

For the latest, crashes from around the state are posted in South Dakota accident news and our recent accident alerts.