MITCHELL, SD (Mitchell Now) — South Dakota continues to rank at or near the top nationally for DUI arrests per capita, a statistic often linked to alcohol use but also shaped by rural driving realities and enforcement patterns.
One analysis of DUI arrests and fatalities by state reported South Dakota’s DUI arrest rate at 938.8 arrests per 100,000 people, among the highest in the U.S.
Recent arrest data also shows DUI enforcement reaching a broad cross-section of drivers. A KOTA report, citing the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer, said 30,051 people were arrested for driving under the influence in South Dakota from 2021 through 2025. Of those, 8,220 arrests involved women.
State crash data underscores why impaired driving remains a public safety focus. The South Dakota Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Summary lists 146 traffic fatalities in 2024, including 58 deaths in alcohol-related crashes — about 40% of the total.
The South Dakota Highway Patrol says additional enforcement is planned in January, with sobriety checkpoints scheduled in 16 counties statewide, including Beadle and Davison counties. Officials encourage drivers to plan ahead with a sober ride option when drinking, noting that checkpoints may not be scheduled in every area on every weekend.
