Ahead of a January 28, 2025 hearing in the South Dakota Legislature’s House Transportation Committee, Advocates has sent a letter to the Chair and Vice Chair outlining reasons why the passage of House Bill 1065 would be both deadly and costly.
In 2023, an estimated 141 people were killed in traffic crashes in South Dakota. In addition, South Dakota incurs approximately $941 million in economic harm annually due to motor vehicle crashes, which is equivalent to $1,063 per resident each year according to a 2019 analysis. In 2022, 60 percent of passenger vehicle occupants who died on South Dakota roads were not wearing a seat belt, when restraint use was known. This is notably higher than the national average of 50 percent.
Read the full letter here.