The National Safety Council says traffic fatalities surged across the nation in 2012, and the number of fatalities rose by 33 in South Dakota.
Traffic fatalities rose 5 percent nationwide, according to preliminary analysis from the National Safety Council. 36,200 people died in motor vehicle accidents in 2012, which is up from 34,600 deaths the previous year. The preliminary data was released Tuesday.
According to preliminary data from the South Dakota Department of Public Safety, there were 134 deaths in motor vehicle accidents in 2012. There were 111 deaths from motor vehicle accidents in 2011 and 140 in 2010.
Reports from the Department of Public Safety show the number of deaths from accidents was declining in the past 10 years. The data provided by the department reaches back to 1982. In that time period, South Dakota experienced the most accident-related deaths in 2003 with 203 fatalities. The least amount of reported deaths from accidents in that period was in 2011.
"Any fatality on our roadway is significant, but the fatality trend over the past five to ten years continues to decrease in South Dakota,'' says Lee Axdahl, director of the South Dakota Office of Highway Safety. "Even with the anomaly of 2011's numbers, the trend continues downward."
The National Safety Council and other safety advocates attribute the national increase to more drivers on the roads. Advocates say the improved economy and a mild winter lead to more driving.
Distracted driving is also suspected to be a factor, "but the distraction data is very, very difficult to get," Barbara Harsha, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, told the Associated Press.
