South Dakota’s Department of Public Safety reminds people a safe Christmas holiday begins when they get behind the wheel.
Highway Patrol Superintendent Col. Rick Miller says whether across town or across the state, with more people on the road for the holiday it’s important everyone watches out for each other. He says getting distracted by your electronic devices, drinking and then driving, not wearing your seatbelt or not slowing down can lead to a regrettable Christmas for many.
This year’s Christmas holiday reporting period for motor vehicle traffic crashes covers 30 hours, from 6pm today (Dec. 24) through midnight tomorrow. During last year’s 102-hour long reporting period, there were 173 reported traffic crashes resulting in 48 injuries and two deaths. Of the two fatalities, one was a pedestrian and the other was a pickup driver who was ejected after not wearing a seatbelt.
South Dakota’s deadliest Christmas holiday period was in 1976 when 10 people died from injuries received in five crashes. The last fatality-free Christmas Holiday weekend occurred in 2015.
