Reckless Roads

Despite a 2020 law restricting cell phone use by drivers, and numerous public-information campaigns, distracted driving remains a significant cause of injuries and deaths in car crashes in South Dakota and across the United States. Police officers continue to crack down on the risky behaviors, but a new outreach effort will use a multi-pronged approach to try to keep people focused on the road ahead.

Traffic on the roadways is expected to return almost to pre-pandemic levels in South Dakota this holiday season, and distracted driving and speeding remain major safety risks for drivers, some who are unwilling to put down their phones or travel at a safe speed despite laws and information campaigns.

South Dakota laws place a great burden on pedestrians to be safe on or along state roadways and create a high legal standard for prosecutors or civil attorneys to prove that drivers were responsible in vehicle versus pedestrian accidents, legal experts say. The laws may come into play soon as an investigation continues into a fatal accident involving South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg, who struck and killed Joseph Boever on a rural highway on Sept. 12.

South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravsnborg said he thought he hit a deer on Sept. 12, when in fact he had struck and killed 55-year-old Joseph Boever while driving on U.S. Highway 14 west of Highmore. Ravnsborg left the scene that night and found Boever's body the next morning upon return. An accident reconstruction expert says it is improbable that Ravnsborg would not have known he struck a person, and another expert said it could be negligence if Ravnsborg's car left the travel lane and struck Boever on the shoulder.

National and state data show higher levels of fatalities and alcohol-related fatalities on roadways during holiday period while law enforcement agencies step up patrols to reduce risks.

Driver keeps texting despite near-fatal crash

Penalties for texting while driving, seatbelt use lag behind most other states.